COMMENTARY A prevention science approach to promoting health and quality of life for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities Nathaniel R. Riggs 1,2 | Susan L. Hepburn 1 | Miranda E. Pinks 1 | Deborah J. Fidler 1 1 Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA 2 Prevention Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA Correspondence Nathaniel R. Riggs, Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, 1570 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. Email: nathaniel.riggs@colostate.edu Abstract Intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) involve challenges with both cognitive functioning and activities of daily living. The field of IDD science and practice has often applied a Quality of Life framework to promoting well-being for those with IDD, however health disparities persist. Taking a prevention science approach to promoting health and quality of life may be a particularly effective way to decrease health disparities among individuals with IDD by addressing the challenging biopsychosocial risks that indi- viduals with IDD experience during early childhood. This commentary discusses the promise of applying prevention science theory, research, and practice to promoting the quality of life of individuals with IDD, while recognizing the historical, methodological, and ethical challenges to doing so. Several opportunities for research partnerships between prevention scientists and applied IDD researchers are proposed for basic science research, community-based par- ticipatory research, Type 1 translational research, and Type 2 translational research. KEYWORDS intellectual and developmental disabilities, prevention science, quality of life Received: 17 April 2021 Revised: 6 October 2021 Accepted: 13 October 2021 DOI: 10.1002/icd.2278 Inf Child Dev. 2021;e2278. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/icd © 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 1 of 7 https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.2278