Welcome to IASSIDD 2024 in Chicago!

I along with the Local Organizing Committee are delighted to welcome you to the 17th World Congress of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD) taking place in Chicago August 5-8, 2024, with an additional pre-congress meeting taking place on August 4 2024. The Congress’s theme is “Reimagining Connections”, an opportunity to re-connect with colleagues from around the world, develop new collaborations, and exchange ideas internationally. While we have been able to connect online during and since the pandemic, the in-person gathering offers many more opportunities for dialogue, discussion, and friendship.

It has been five years since the last IASSIDD World Congress that was held in Glasgow, Scotland. Typically, the IASSIDD World Congresses are held every three years with regional conferences in the interim years; due to the pandemic this Congress was postponed by two years.

These international meetings provide an exciting opportunity for presenting recent findings as well as keynote addresses about major advances in the biological, behavioral, humanities, and social sciences related to intellectual and developmental disabilities. These advances are also addressed in presentations concerned with progress in the provision of services and supports for persons with intellectual disabilities, technological advances, and inclusive research approaches. We look forward to welcoming self-advocates to the conference, benefiting from their expertise, and learning from their lived experience.

Also, we want to extend a warm welcome to Chicago, a vibrant international city with world class entertainment, fine museums, great restaurants, theater district, miles of lakefront and river walks, and striking architecture. Enjoy the myriad opportunities for free concerts in the park, architecture tours down the river, and checking our local sites.

Take this exciting opportunity at the IASSIDD World Congress to gain new ideas and make connections.