Peer Support Provided by People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Rapid Scoping Review to Develop a Toolkit for Inclusive Research

Abstract

Inclusive research teams actively engage people with intellectual and developmental disabilities at all stages of research development, implementation, and dissemination. There is a dearth of research that specifically addresses the use of peer support in research engagement, yet research using peer support may provide a useful framework for engagement in inclusive research teams. A rapid scoping review was completed following the reporting guidelines for PRISMA-SCR. The scoping review identified five peer support roles (communication, sharing experiences, helping peers to learn, peer development, and creating a welcoming environment) and two types of support and accommodation for peer supporters (individual and environmental). The findings of the rapid scoping review aided in developing key sections of a Peer Support Toolkit to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities engage in research to create more inclusive research teams and research that is informed directly by the needs of people with lived experience. The scoping review and toolkit were completed by an inclusive team.