Using a Knowledge Translation Lens to Develop International Collaborations to Improve the Health of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities

This report describes the process used at the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities Health Issues Special Interest Research Group's 2009 Roundtable to increase awareness of the importance of, and opportunities for, knowledge translation to improve the health of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) through international collaboration. The "knowledge-to-action cycle" (i.e., knowledge translation) formed the basis for the roundtable discussions. The thematic areas discussed included identification and reduction of disability in adults who also have epilepsy, obesity in children and adults, adapting health promotion materials and approaches, and policy and practice healthcare management-all related to individuals with ID. The topics were explored, extant information presented, and agreements reached for further work and collaborations in each of the topic areas. It was noted that the roundtable's use of the knowledge-to-action framework helped the participants focus on bringing together existing knowledge in ways that can meaningfully influence policy and practice. A pre-workshop web-based forum allowed participants to share information and recognize the need for synthesis and tool development. Multidisciplinary working groups that are international in scope can be useful in continuing to work toward increasing awareness of the knowledge-to-action cycle and promoting collaborative health research in the area of health and ID.