Two faculty members receive AAIDD research awards for impact on intellectual and developmental disabilities field

The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), the largest interdisciplinary professional organization for intellectual and developmental disabilities, recently awarded Sesquicentennial Research Awards to Susan Havercamp, PhD, FAAIDD, and Marc Tassé, PhD, FAAIDD. Dr. Havercamp is a professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health in The Ohio State University College of Medicine and director of Health Promotion and Healthcare Parity at The Ohio State University Nisonger Center. Dr. Tassé is a professor in the Department of Psychology and Psychiatry and Behavioral Health in the Ohio State College of Medicine and director of the Ohio State Nisonger Center. With 28 other AAIDD members at the organization’s 150th annual meeting in June, Drs. Havercamp and Tassé were recognized for the incredible reach and impact their career-spanning research has made in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Dr. Havercamp’s research focuses on the mental and physical health of people with disabilities, particularly intellectual and developmental disabilities, to:

• Promote the health and well-being of people with disabilities.
• Improve population surveys and administrative health data for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Prepare healthcare professionals to provide high-quality, disability-competent care.

Dr. Tassé has more than 30 years of experience conducting research and providing clinical services in the field of intellectual disability and related neurodevelopmental disabilities, and focuses on: 

• The co-occurrence of intellectual disability (ID) or autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and psychiatric problems or problem behaviors, understanding and measuring adaptive behavior, test development and the concept of support needs.
• Assessment and psychometrics (item response theory), health and well-being of people with ASD, ID and other related developmental disabilities and intervention strategies.

Founded in 1876, the AAIDD advances policy innovation, research, effective practices and the protection of human rights for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Congratulations to Drs. Havercamp and Tassé on this well-deserved national recognition for their outstanding contributions to research and practice in the field.