AAIDD 151st Annual Meeting
June 22-30, 2027
Atlanta, GA
Cultivating Belonging Through Social Inclusion
The 151st AAIDD Annual Meeting will provide a forum for practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and advocates to come together to explore opportunities, challenges, and strategies related to social inclusion and belonging in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Social inclusion is the combination of meaningful community participation and reciprocal relationships that lead to a sense of belonging. This sense of belonging is an essential human need that everyone shares.
The conference will:
- Include plenary sessions focused on how policies, practices, and research have shaped opportunities for social inclusion that impact the sense of belonging of people with IDD.
- Feature panel presentations, poster presentations, issue briefs, and poster symposia on new and emerging knowledge in our field and promising practices that illustrate our progress in supporting people with IDD to fully participate in their communities, develop meaningful relationships, and feel that they truly belong.
- Provide networking opportunities to build professional relationships, facilitate the informal exchange of ideas, and aid in personal and career growth.
AAIDD seeks proposals that highlight new and emerging knowledge in the field of IDD. Evidence-based research, practice, and policy-oriented proposals on all topics of concern to people with IDD are welcome; authors do not need to limit themselves to the conference theme in their submissions.
Submission Deadline: November 30th, 2026
Sarah A. Hall
Chair, 2027 Conference Planning Committee
Proposal Formats
Concurrent sessions are scheduled for one hour. AAIDD will assign a moderator to each concurrent session; do not identify a moderator in your proposal.
Individual Paper Presentation
Consist of presentations whose content could be conveyed in 20-30 minutes (including question period). AAIDD will group 2-3 paper presentations on a common topic or theme into one 60-minute concurrent session.
Dedicated Panel (Formerly Full Panel)
Three distinct but thematically linked proposals led by different authors may request to be grouped into a single 60-minute panel if accepted. Each proposal is individually peer-reviewed and grouping requests may or may not be approved.
Issue Briefs
Consist of a short informative update on the latest from our field. The session includes approximately 7 speakers with 7-8 minutes of presentation time each supported by 7 PowerPoint slides. (If selected for this format, speakers must provide slides in advance of the conference.) Time for discussion is allotted after all speakers have made their presentations.
Poster
Individuals or groups of authors submit proposals for interactive poster presentations in which they can discuss their work with conference participants in a 90-minute evening session.
Poster Symposia
Consist of a hybrid of poster and panel presentation. Each symposium consists of an average of approximately 7 speakers with 5-7 minutes of verbal presentation time about their posters followed by individual Q&A at their poster board.
How to Submit
All proposals will be peer-reviewed and authors will be notified of the decision in mid-February. Please note that all presenting authors must register and pay the registration fee.
Submission Portal
Submit your proposal through the submission portal. Your submission consists of the following:
- Title of your submission
- Proposed presentation Type (you may choose more than one format)
- Authors (Full names, degrees, affiliation)
- Your 600-word abstract is divided into 4 sections: