Family Perspectives on a Successful Transition to Adulthood for Individuals with Disabilities

Revised following 2011 graduationWhen researchers evaluate adult outcomes for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (ID/DD), the perspective of families is not always considered. Parents of individuals with ID/DD (n=198) answered an online survey about their definition of a successful transition to adulthood. Content analysis was used to describe themes and ideas present in responses. Rather than focusing only on developmental tasks of adulthood, such as living independently, being competitively employed, and maintaining friendships, responses reflected a more varied and dynamic view of success in adulthood, taking into account the fit between the person with ID/DD and his or her environment. As services are developed and implemented for adults with ID/DD, it is important to take into consideration the priorities families place on different aspects of transition success.Vanderbilt UniversityPsychologyArts and SciencesThesis completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Honors Program in Psychological Science