Do social networks differ? Comparison of the social networks of people with intellectual disabilities, people with autism spectrum disorders and other people living in the community.
Adults with ID have thinner family support—so you must engineer stronger social networks.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers asked the adults about their family and friend networks. Half had intellectual disability (ID). Half were matched neighbors without disabilities.
Each person listed who they talked to, how close they felt, and how much support they got. The team counted ties, strength, and perceived help.
What they found
Adults with ID named fewer relatives and felt less central in their own families. Their networks were smaller, looser, and rated as less supportive.
When the person also had a mental-health diagnosis, the family network shrank even more.
How this fits with other research
Faso et al. (2016) showed that a life-story program cut psychiatric symptoms in adults with ID. That fits here: if family support is thin, structured peer or staff support may fill the gap.
Westendorp et al. (2014) found older adults with ID want social contact to stay active. Austin et al. (2015) shows why that contact is hard to find—family ties are already weak.
Vargas (2013) reminds us to look at the whole ecological map. The thin family network is just one layer. Work, day-program, and online ties can add missing support.
Why it matters
Your client’s family may not be the safety net you assume. Build extra social capital on purpose. Add peer groups, staff mentors, or community clubs to the plan.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Map your client’s current circle, then add one new community connection this week.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Using social network methods, this article explores the ways in which individuals with intellectual disability (ID) perceive their family contexts and the social capital that they provide. Based on a subsample of 24 individuals with ID, a subsample of 24 individuals with ID and psychiatric disorders, and a control sample of 24 pre-graduate and postgraduate students matched to the clinical respondents for age and sex, we found that family networks of clinical individuals are distinct both in terms of composition and in terms of social capital made available to them by their family ties. Individuals with ID perceive themselves as less central in their own family; their family networks are perceived as less dense, less centralized, and more disconnected. Individuals with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric disorders have less family-based social capital than individuals with intellectual disabilities only. The composition of their family is also distinct as spouses or partners and children are missing. We discuss the importance of those findings for research on family relationships of individuals with ID.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2015 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2007.02.005