Examining lifespan stage recognition abilities among adults with intellectual disability

Background: Being aware of the different social expectations linked to the principal lifespan stages (i.e., childhood, adulthood, old age) is critical to an individual’s inclusion in the community and to developing appropriate social behaviours. However, little research exists on this topic in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Method: Sixty-nine adults with intellectual disability (ID) took part in the study. They completed a new task specifically developed to assess lifespan stages recognition among persons with ID. Participants’ verbal and nonverbal reasoning skills were also assessed. Results: The results of this study suggest that the performance of adults with ID in recognising different lifespan stages is related to specific cognitive abilities and to the type of material used to test this performance. Conclusion: Implications of these results and the possible use of the task in educational settings are discussed