Maya Perera

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are less likely to meet physical activity (PA) guidelines, which negatively affects their quality of life (Diz et al., 2024). Community-based recreation programs (CBRP) are well situated to address low PA adherence, and produce psychosocial and physical benefits for individuals with IDD (Stancliffe & Anderson, 2017; Weissman et al., 2022). For CBRP to produce these outcomes, fostering Quality Participation is vital. Quality Participation (QP) is a framework that defines participation in terms of an individual’s subjective experiences, and is made up of six experiential building blocks (Martin Ginis, 2017). When these elements are experienced consistently over time, they can promote enjoyment, motivation, and sustained participation (Bruno et al., 2020; Weissman et al., 2022). This study aims to outline the process in which QP is nurtured and improved in CBRP, a process that is not well understood or documented. To do this, two iterations of a CBRP are being held, each consisting of 7 sessions with at least 2 participants with IDD. The process in which QP is fostered and improved throughout each iteration will be documented. The implementation framework, CFIR, will guide the adaptations made to the CBRP between iteration one and two by identifying barriers and facilitators to QP within the CFIR constructs (Damschroder et al., 2009). The findings from this study will provide structure and guidance to researchers and facilitators on how to achieve QP in a CBRP.