Preparation of Social Workers to Support People with Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

We examine how well schools of social work prepare students to work with people with developmental disabilities (DD). Using websites of 50 U.S. schools of social work, we examine their curricula to determine the number and nature of disability studies courses. We examine tenure-line faculty to identify potential for current staff to expand DD courses. We provide evidence of growing demand for DD services, and show minimal opportunities exist for students to obtain a concentration or certification in disability studies. Also, a large percentage of tenure-line faculty have research backgrounds in the DD field which are not reflected in current course offerings. Implications for social work education are discussed and recommendations given for future research.