Adaptive interviewing for the inclusion of people with intellectual disability in qualitative research

Background: Historically the voices of people with intellectual disability have been occluded by barriers imposed by research practice. More recently, adaptive research approaches have been proposed to enhance the inclusion of people with intellectual disability in qualitative research.

Method: This article presents an adaptive interviewing approach employed with five people ageing with intellectual disabilities in rural South Australia. The interviews were conducted within a broader participatory action research project in which tools and resources were co-designed for post-parental care planning.

Results: We describe our adaptive interviewing approach incorporating multiple methods: (i) responsive communication techniques; (ii) the inclusion and support of family carers; (iii) visual tools; (iv) walking interviews.

Conclusion: Findings contribute knowledge about how an adaptive interview approach supports the participation of people with an intellectual disability in qualitative research.