• Senior Research Associate
  • Co-director, Global Resource Center for Inclusive Education
  • Co-director, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on HCBS Outcome Measurement
Email
abery001@umn.edu
Phone
+1 612-625-5592
Address
Institute On Community Integration
Masonic Institute For The Developing Brain [map]
2025 E River Pkwy
Rm 1-303
Minneapolis, MN 55414-3604

Brian Abery, Ph.D, is the Coordinator of School-Age Services at the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) and an adjunct faculty member within the Institute on Child Development and School Psychology Programs at the University of Minnesota. He has been Principal Investigator of numerous projects designed to enhance the educational outcomes, social inclusion, and self-determination of persons with disabilities both at a national and international level. His international work includes implementation of the Response to Intervention framework in India and the implementation of Inclusive Service Learning in Costa Rica. Dr. Abery holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology and has an extensive background in research, assessment, program development, and evaluation related to children, youth, and adults with disabilities.

Curriculum Vitae (pdf)

Projects

Project

Assessments of Students with Significant Disabilities: A Russia-U.S. Partnership (UPP) [Archived]

Established a partnership between the University of Minnesota (UMN) and Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University (KSPU), Russia, to develop and evaluate a system of formative assessment suited for …

Project

Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on HCBS Outcome Measurement (RTC-OM)

Evaluates measures of the quality of life experienced by people with disabilities as a result of receiving services and supports. Past measures tended to focus on money spent on services for …

Project

Special Olympics Partnerships

ICI researchers (Abery, Ticha, and Houseworth) have received funding from Special Olympics International, North America, and Minnesota (SOI, SONA, and SOMN) to collaborate on initiatives to …

Project

Community Participation and Employment as Strategies for Social inclusion: A U.S.-Russian Dialogue [Archived]

Enhances the social inclusion of Russian youth and young adults with disabilities by developing community living and supported employment programs in the Moscow area. Options in Russia for supporte…

Project

Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training Community Living and Participation (ARRT)

Trains one or two post-doctoral participants each year, offering them a program that is rich in research training and experience that is focused on community living and participation of persons …

Project

Enhancing Physical Activity Among Older Adults Using Nao, a Socially Assistive Robot

This interdisciplinary project involved researchers from psychology, special education, and engineering, using a socially assistive robot to promote a healthy lifestyle among older adults. Socially…

Project

Direct Minnesota TBI State Plan

This project has two goals. The first goal is to move the Minnesota TBI State Plan towards racial equity and address the impact of systemic racism on traumatic brain injury (TBI) services and …

Project

National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD)

ICI has joined with the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) and a number of other partners to oversee and expand the National Center for College Students with Disabilities ( …

Project

Research and Training Center on Community Living (RTC-CL)

Conducts a wide range of research, training, and technical assistance and dissemination projects related to community supports under its center grant and related project funding. The RTC-CL is …

Project

Improving the Self-Determination of Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Wisconsin

Develops an education and technical assistance program for general education teachers in ten schools (five middle schools and five high schools) in Wisconsin, providing them with strategies to …

Project

Making Employment Meaningful for People with Disabilities: A U.S.-Japan Partnership

Japanese companies are required to staff about two percent of their workforces with people with disabilities, but many individuals remain unemployed, underemployed, or stuck in jobs for which they …

Project

Person-centered Advocacy Vision Education (PAVE)

ICI’s role in the PAVE project (carried out by the California Community Living Network – CCLN) is to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the PAVE (Person-centered Advocacy Vision Education) …

Project

Assistive Service Robotics and the Future of Inclusive Employment: A U.S.-Japan Partnership

This collaboration between the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration, the University of Wisconsin - River Falls, the University of Tokyo, and OryLab, Inc. explored how …

Project

Partnering to Transform Health Outcomes with Persons with IDD (PATH-PWIDD)

ICI is collaborating with several organizations on this project, which was developed to improve health and healthcare for persons with IDD by improving education received by students and profession…

Project

Understanding, Developing, and Supporting Meaningful Work for Youth with Disabilities in Bhutan: Networks, Communities, and Transitions

Supported the inclusive community employment of youth and young adults with disabilities in Bhutan, a mountainous kingdom in south central Asia. This research and development program collaborated …

Project

Ecological Momentary Assessment of Leisure Activity Participation Among Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

This project used an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to better understand the patterns of leisure activity among adults with ASD who live independently and to examine the relationships …

Project

End Diagnostic Overshadowing: Addressing Ableism in the Healthcare Context

This research is intended to confront ableism in healthcare for people with disabilities. The investigators have designed research aims and strategies to reduce implicit bias in the practice of …

Project

Developing Leadership Capacity in Inclusive Education: A U.S.-Ukrainian Partnership

Built capacity in inclusive education practices at the university and public school levels in six regions of Ukraine through lectures, a train-the-trainer model, and mentoring by U.S. experts. …

Project

Community-Based Collaborative Transition Model for Minnesota Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)

This Project of National Significance aims to increase the community-based employment, participation in higher education, and independence of youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities …

Project

Coordinated Service Pathways for Transition-age Youth with Epilepsy in Minnesota

Develop a family-centered model of transition service pathway coordination across education, healthcare, and vocational rehabilitation for young Minnesota adults with epilepsy and/or co-occurring …

Products

Impact: Feature Issue on Social Inclusion Through Recreation for Persons with Disabilities

A newsletter issue proposing that one way to increase the social inclusion of individuals with disabilities is for children, youth and adults with and without disabilities to play together. While …

Published: Summer 2003

Impact: Feature Issue on Supporting the Social Well-Being of Children and Youth with Disabilities

A newsletter issue presenting practical and insightful articles about supporting the social well-being of children and youth with intellectual, developmental and other disabilities in the settings …

Published: Spring/Summer 2011

Moving toward an inclusive education system: Lessons from the U.S. and their potential application in the Czech Republic and other Central and Eastern European countries

In this article, we present the historical and current developments of inclusive education (IE) in the U.S. in the context of recent changes toward a more inclusive approach to education (IE) in …

Published: 2017

Leisure Participation of Autistic Adults: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Feasibility Study

Autistic adults participate less and express lower satisfaction in leisure activities than nonautistic adults, although literature is limited. The multifaceted nature of leisure participation …

Published: 2023

Impact: Feature Issue on Self-Determination and Supported Decision-Making for People with Intellectual, Developmental, and Other Disabilities

An issue in the Impact series that looks at how people with disabilities are exercising and experiencing self-determination in the U.S. and other countries today, and at the emergence of Supported …

Published: Fall 2019

Impact: Feature Issue on Transition in a Global Context for People with Intellectual, Developmental, and Other Disabilities

This issue in the Impact series focuses on transition in a global context. Preparing for life after high school—whether that means college, work, or simply living in the community—varies greatly …

Published: Fall 2022

Health Professionals' Education Related to People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review

Background: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are among the most underserved in an inequitable healthcare system. Methods: Using Arksey and O'Malley's methodology and a …

Published: 2024

Through Asking the Right Questions... You Can Reach Your Destination

A pocket guide containing questions for families and persons with disabilities to ask as they interview residential service providers and decide which are best suited to meet their support needs.

Published: 1999

Advances and Gaps in Policy, Practice, and Research in Transition for Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Across Four Countries

The difficulties faced by youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families as they move into adulthood are widely documented. The aim of the paper is to explore the …

Published: 2024

HCBS Outcome Framework Results

A webinar for policymakers and family members on the results of the process used to validate the National Quality Forum HCBS Outcome Framework.

Published: 2017

Editorial: Improving the Quality of Outcome Measurement for Adults with Disabilities Receiving Community-based Services

This special issue of Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences: Disability, Rehabilitation, and Inclusion is designed to fill this gap in understanding the current landscape of measurement approaches …

Published: 2023

Employment and Participation in Meaningful Activities for Persons with Disabilities in Bhutan: Results from a National Survey

The Comprehensive Survey of Transition and Employment of Youth with Disabilities in Bhutan was conducted in late 2019, as part of a project on employment and meaningful participation of youth with …

Published: 2022

Measuring Outcomes of People with Disabilities in the US: Current Challenges and Opportunities

Over the past decade as a best practice and in compliance with federal and state HCBS policies, U.S. states are required to measure the impact of the services they provide to persons with disabilit…

Published: 2021

Inclusive Education Strategies: A Toolkit for Armenia

This toolkit was designed by faculty and staff from the University of Minnesota and Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) in the Republic of Armenia to help educators to include students …

Published: 2019

Choice, preference, and disability: Promoting self-determination across the lifespan

This book examines choice and preference in the lives of people with disability, focusing on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It provides an overview of choice and examines …

Published: 2/12/2021

School and Classroom Disabilities Inclusion Guide for Low- and Middle-Income Countries

This guide emphasizes that inclusive education – which fully engages all children in quality education, including children with various types of disabilities or other learning challenges – is …

Published: January 2017

Observations of Academic Instruction for Students With Significant Intellectual Disability: Three States, Thirty-Nine Classrooms, One View

As part of the validation process for alternate assessments, 39 classroom observations were conducted to gather data about current practices in providing academic instruction to students with …

Published: 2013

Policy Forum: Access and Unmet Needs for Technology for People with IDD: Results from FINDS Survey

This Policy Forum, held on November 13, 2024, discusses the recent Policy Research Brief titled, Access and Unmet Needs for Technology for People with IDD: Results from FINDS Survey. Discussants …

Published: 11/13/2024

Self-Determination and Choice

Promoting self-determination and choice opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities has become best practice in the field. This article reviews the research and …

Published: 2013

Disability-Inclusion Resources for Employment, Coaching, and Training

The Online Resource and Learning Center was developed by experts in the US, UK and Bhutan as part of an international collaborative titled Understanding, Developing, and Supporting Meaningful Work for Youth with Disabilities in Bhutan: Networks, Communities, and Transitions. This resource is designed to support the socio-economic inclusion of persons with disabilities in low and middle income countries. The online modules cover the topics of Inclusive Employment, Transition and Work-Based Learning, and Self-Determination and Self-Advocacy, among others.

Published: 4/12/2021

Interventions Used with the Direct Support Workforce in Home and Community-Based Settings: A Scoping Review

This scoping review fills the gap on key characteristics of interventions and trainings for direct support workforce (DSW) of adults across disabilities and aging adults. We included quantitative …

Published: 2024

The Spanish version of the Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practice (TEIP) scale: Adaptation and psychometric properties

The Teacher Efficacy for Inclusive Practice (TEIP) scale is an instrument created by Sharma et al. to assess efficacy of instruction in inclusive settings. Despite its increase in use, the TEIP …

Published: 2020-04-15

Inclusive Education Strategies: A Textbook

This textbook is a resource for implementing inclusive education practices in Armenia, other post-Soviet countries, and countries on the path to a more inclusive education and society. The content …

Published: 2018

Risk Adjustment in Home and Community Based Services Outcome Measurement

The purpose of this study was to review and evaluate existing research that used risk adjusters in disability research. Risk adjustment controls for individual characteristics of persons when …

Published: 4/7/2022

Research-Based Interventions that Work: Improving Retention and Graduation Rates for College Students with Disabilities

This poster was prepared to illustrate a project under the National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD), a collaboration between ICI and the Association on Higher Education And …

Published: 2023

The Value of Employment for People with Disabilities Around the World: The Dignity of Work

Receiving education and training that lead to a meaningful job, having a career, and being a valued contributor to a professional environment is taken for granted by many. Historically, however, …

Published: 2024

Supporting Employment for Persons with Disabilities in Bhutan: Results from an Employer Survey

This report presents the results of an employer survey in Bhutan focused on recruiting, hiring, and employing people with disabilities. The survey results show a need for significant change if …

Published: 2022

Indicators of Self-Determination in Wisconsin using National Core Indicators Data

This report examined indicators of self-determination in the state of Wisconsin, in the region, and nationally for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) using the …

Published: 2020

Topics

  • Education practices (K12 and transition)
    • Inclusive education
    • Inclusive service learning
  • Community life
    • Community supports and services
    • Friendships and social relationships
    • Person-centered planning and practices
    • Quality outcomes
    • Self-advocacy and self-determination
    • Social inclusion
  • Specific life stage
    • Children
    • Adolescents and young adults
    • Adults
  • Culture and diversity
    • International initiatives
  • Housing and residential services
    • Consumer/self-directed services
  • Health and safety
    • Healthcare
  • Educational accountability and assessment
    • Assessment (large-scale, alternate)
    • IDEA
    • Assessment of individuals
  • Specific disability
    • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
    • Intellectual/developmental disability (IDD)
    • Multiple disabilities
    • Other health impairment
    • Physical disability

Activities

  • Research
  • Training and professional development
  • Technical assistance
  • Evaluation
  • Dissemination
  • Outreach