Understanding the roles of parents of young adults with intellectual disabilities during postsecondary transition
Date
2013
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
This qualitative study explored how parents of young adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) perceived their roles and how they might have changed over time, focusing especially on what they perceived their roles to be in their children’s postsecondary years. Data were collected from eight parents of young adults with ID through semi-structured interviews. Topics explored in the interviews were: description of past and present roles, supports they may or may not provide, and what, if any, information/education they had received about the role of a parent post-school. Data were analyzed through constant comparative methods and cross-case displays in search of patterns and themes. The findings suggested parents in the study saw themselves as having the roles of advocates, protectors, providers, and encouragers. These roles were evident across the major life areas of their young adults. Parents expressed their roles and level of advocacy had changed over time in response to their perceptions of the significance of their child’s disability and growth in independence. Parents indicated they had received limited preparation for their postsecondary roles from educators and professionals and relied instead on applying their own knowledge of the adult world in a “trial and error” fashion. Implications for further research and professional practices that better prepare and support parents of young adults with ID during postsecondary transition are discussed.