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Background:Method:Results:Conclusions:This study aims to introduce direct support staff (DSS) working with adults with intellectual disabilities to the Holistic Support Model (HSM) and assess its influence on their perceptions of their professional role. The HSM, grounded in humanistic principles, guides the support process, prioritising autonomy and meaningful living.Using participatory action research, this study used survey data, qualitative analysis of group meetings, and interviews, to assess changes in DSSs' role perceptions after undergoing in-service training on the HSM.DSS exhibited a shift towards a humanistic perspective, gaining clarity on their roles, which reduced frustration. Doubts persist among DSS regarding the applicability of the HSM to all adults with intellectual disabilities.The studies underscore the positive impact of the HSM on DSS, highlighting its potential to enhance DSS practice. It recommends researching the experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities with the HSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A particular challenge facing parents of children with intellectual disabilities occurs when their adult children with intellectual disabilities has an interest in pursuing couple relationships. This study explores parents' perceptions regarding the nature of couple relationships, the right of their adult children with intellectual disabilities to pursue such relationships, the difficulties their children encounter and their own role in providing support. Method: Interviews were conducted with 30 parents of adults with intellectual disabilities who had left home for independent and semi-independent living arrangements. A thematic content analysis was conducted. Results: Whereas parents used "mutual support" to characterize couple relationships in general, they viewed their children with intellectual disabilities as primarily focused on "physical intimacy" and the couple relationship as a "status symbol," as well as expressed reservations about their becoming parents. Conclusions: Parents should be helped to adopt a more consistent and positive attitude towards their intellectual disabilities children's pursuit of couple relationships.

Background: Despite humanistic declarations regarding the rights of people with intellectual disability to live a full, meaningful life, in practice, resulting from dilemmas experienced by direct support provides, support is often limited to a focus on functional independence. The aim of this research was to define the theoretical principles by which the gap between humanistic declarations and practice can be overcome. Method: The research focused on the role perception of 30 direct support providers who participated in semistructured interviews. A case study methodology was used applying an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Findings: The interviews revealed that a humanistic perspective has been partially incorporated into the general attitudes of direct support providers. In practice, however, they indicated that they face dilemmas that challenge them in their daily work. Conclusion: To assist direct support providers in resolving their dilemmas, by adhering to humanistic principles, a 'humanization' model is offered. The theoretical principles underlying the model focus on meaningful life as the aim of support, enhancing recipients' autonomy, adhering to a holistic perspective and conducting dialogues acknowledging the abilities of people with intellectual disability to understand, choose and face challenges. Further examination of the model and its application in practice is recommended. Accessible summary: When providing supports to adults with intellectual disability it is sometimes difficult to choose between conflicting demands, such as: Providing either a safe and comfortable environment or a challenging one.To assist direct support providers in resolving dilemmas in their support of adults with intellectual disability, the 'humanization' model suggested here, offers four theoretical principles:Meaningful life—It is important to enable and encourage the support user to face new experiences and practice decision‐making for personal meaning in life.Autonomy—Individuals with intellectual disability can and are entitled to make their own decisions. They should be encouraged to develop and express their priorities according to their personal worldview.Holistic perspective (Taking a Broad Perspective)—Individuals with intellectual disability are more than their abilities and difficulties; they are whole and one‐of‐a‐kind.Interaction based on dialogue—The dialogue is based first and foremost on conversation that acknowledge the abilities of people with intellectual disability to understand, choose and face challenges.It is hoped that by applying the model, that direct support providers will be able to provide better assistance to adults with intellectual disability to seek personal meaning in their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality of life (QOL) has become an increasingly important topic in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Those efforts have included the structuring of models of QOL and more recently Family Quality of life (FQOL). The time has arrived to examine other developments and consider their place in a QOL paradigm. In this article, we have described one of the aspects of QOL that does not appear to be formally or directly structured into models of QOL, namely the role of the humanistic perspective as "a lighthouse" concept for the perception of QOL/FQOL and a vehicle for its application in practice. It is recognized that many researchers and practitioners have considered or practised a humanistic approach but the core beliefs and elements on humanism have received less specific or detailed attention in the QOL literature. This article proposes humanistic philosophy to be the basis for defining humanistic theoretical principles and guidelines for practice, and to be an important vehicle for operationalizing and applying quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study focused on perspectives of people with intellectual disability (ID) regarding their experience of being involved in an intimate relationship with a steady partner and on the discrepancies between their reported experiences and the prevailing opinions on this issue as expressed in the professional literature. In light of the importance of couple relationships in the general population, the paucity of studies that consider this type of relationship among people with ID is conspicuous. Qualitative analysis was used to understand how people with ID perceive couple relationships. Quantitative analysis was used to compare the quality of life and self-concept of people with ID involved in an intimate relationship with those of people with ID who have a strong relationship with a close friend. The findings indicate that people with ID perceive couple relationships to be multidimensional, with unique characteristics, much like the general population's perception of couple relationships. In addition, it was found that people with ID involved in an intimate couple relationship scored higher on quality of life and self-image measures than did their counterparts who had a close relationship with a (non-partner) friend. Several recommendations are offered on how to help people with ID develop and maintain a long-term intimate relationship with a lifelong partner.

Despite the recognition that adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) have the right to lead a fulfilling life, support staff continue to focus on normalisation and mainstreaming. The present research aimed to promote a change in the focus of the support provided to adults with IDD, stressing the importance of assisting them to pursue their desires and wishes. Towards that goal, a study with ten pairs of service providers and recipients was conducted, in which the 'Dare to Dream' (Bryen, 2012) process was introduced and its initial stages were implemented. Thus, each pair of provider and recipient focused on the recipients' dreams and their realisation. Data were collected through interviews with the support staff regarding their experience with the 'Dare to Dream' approach. Findings indicated that participation led to a change in support staff's perceptions of their aims and role as supporters in line with the humanistic orientation. The new objectives of supports should focus on encouraging adults with IDD to express their desires and dreams, as well as helping them internalise a new way of achieving autonomy. Further investigation of the use and cross-cultural applications of the 'Dare to Dream' process is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the challenges facing adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) in their life course as adults, and the implications on the necessary supports from social services. Through qualitative interviews with six adults with IDD, aged 60 and over, their life stories in adulthood were retrospectively described. Major events and crossroads were mapped, and a thematic analysis undertaken. The mapping process revealed three parallel life courses: relationships with parents, changes in living arrangements and involvement in couple relationships. The analysis indicated: struggles facing a reality dictated without choice, a desire for personal initiative and active involvement with regard to romantic relationships, and striving for independent living. A continued dependency on others throughout adulthood stood out as a main finding. The interviewees did not mention having received support during times of crises in their lives. Based on these findings, a new holistic model of supports is presented, designed to emphasize the importance of developing a separate and autonomous personal identity, enabling individuals with IDD to make decisions, shape their own lives and experience a meaningful life. Future studies should expand the sample under study to include different age groups reporting their experience both in adulthood and in childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major role of direct support staff working with adults with intellectual disability (ID) is to promote their rights to a full life, including couple relationships. To tackle the complexity of direct support staff role perception, and by using qualitative methodology, the current study explored the attitudes of 40 direct support staff toward couple relationships of adults with ID. According to the results, couple relationships of adults with ID was perceived by them mainly as a means of achieving a more normative life style, rather than as a basic and legitimate need for meaningful interpersonal relations. They described couples with ID as having more difficulties than couples in the general population, and their own over-involvement in the relationship as an additional burden. The findings emphasize the importance of helping direct support staff adopt a broader conception of couple relationships and reexamine the strategies they apply to promote the accessibility of adults with ID to couple relationship. The role of social services in changing policy and practice is discussed accordingly. Future research should address other issues related to the attitudes of support staff toward couple relationships of adults with ID, such as sexuality and parenthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A particular challenge facing parents of children with intellectual disabilities occurs when their adult children with intellectual disabilities has an interest in pursuing couple relationships. This study explores parents' perceptions regarding the nature of couple relationships, the right of their adult children with intellectual disabilities to pursue such relationships, the difficulties their children encounter and their own role in providing support. Method: Interviews were conducted with 30 parents of adults with intellectual disabilities who had left home for independent and semi‐independent living arrangements. A thematic content analysis was conducted. Results: Whereas parents used "mutual support" to characterize couple relationships in general, they viewed their children with intellectual disabilities as primarily focused on "physical intimacy" and the couple relationship as a "status symbol," as well as expressed reservations about their becoming parents. Conclusions: Parents should be helped to adopt a more consistent and positive attitude towards their intellectual disabilities children's pursuit of couple relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study focused on perspectives of people with intellectual disability (ID) regarding their experience of being involved in an intimate relationship with a steady partner and on the discrepancies between their reported experiences and the prevailing opinions on this issue as expressed in the professional literature. In light of the importance of couple relationships in the general population, the paucity of studies that consider this type of relationship among people with ID is conspicuous. Qualitative analysis was used to understand how people with ID perceive couple relationships. Quantitative analysis was used to compare the quality of life and self-concept of people with ID involved in an intimate relationship with those of people with ID who have a strong relationship with a close friend. The findings indicate that people with ID perceive couple relationships to be multidimensional, with unique characteristics, much like the general population’s perception of couple relationships. In addition, it was found that people with ID involved in an intimate couple relationship scored higher on quality of life and self-image measures than did their counterparts who had a close relationship with a (non-partner) friend. Several recommendations are offered on how to help people with ID develop and maintain a long-term intimate relationship with a lifelong partner. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]