Document Type

Report

College

College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Department

Occupational Therapy

Degree

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Report Date

7-2026

Faculty Mentor

Erin Wells

Doctoral Experiential Coordinator

Debra Latour

Abstract

Young adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disability over the age twenty-one face significant barriers to accessing support in mental health, physical activity, and social communication opportunities due to the loss of federal educational entitlement at this age. Individuals with a disability who lose their educational funding at age twenty-one may be forced into underfunded and uncoordinated systems for support, also known as the service cliff. This paper evaluates the benefits of implementing an adaptive sports program for this population, which research suggests can foster social and physical needs while influencing executive functioning in mental health. The benefits of providing education to staff and relatives about the capabilities and needs of these individuals are also discussed in teaching how to best support this population. The goal of providing an opportunity for this population to engage in an adaptive sports program along with a wellness component is to enhance quality of life, encourage the concept of physical activity and its importance, and build inclusive and social communities where relationships can be formed and maintained. This allows individuals to thrive beyond the service cliff. Once individuals reach this age, they lose their federal entitlement to special education and are left to independently navigate underfunded and uncoordinated systems that provide very few services.

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