Predictors of life satisfaction in individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Social know-how and real friends drive happiness for adults with ID—daily living skills don’t.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Geurts et al. (2008) asked 56 adults with intellectual disability what makes life feel good.
They tested social support, daily living skills, leisure, self-determination, and work.
Each person answered questions about these areas and about overall life satisfaction.
What they found
Only two things raised life satisfaction: having close friends and knowing how to talk to them.
Cooking, shopping, hobbies, choosing goals, or having a job added no extra benefit.
In short, relationships beat skills.
How this fits with other research
Akkerman et al. (2018) later found the same pattern at work: supervisor support and clear tasks predicted job satisfaction, while daily skills again added nothing.
Lippold et al. (2009) showed why this matters—adults with ID have tiny, family-heavy social circles, so friendship skills are scarce.
Together the three papers say: teach conversation and connection first, then add chores or job tasks.
Why it matters
If you run day or job programs, start sessions with peer greetings, shared jokes, or partner work.
Spend staff time on teaching how to start chats, text friends, or plan coffee outings.
Those minutes may lift life satisfaction more than an extra hour of laundry practice.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Open your next session with a five-minute peer greeting activity before any task training.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine factors that predict life satisfaction in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). Two groups of variables were studied: life skills (interpersonal, instrumental and leisure) and higher-order predictors (social support, self-determination and productivity). METHOD: Fifty-six participants with ID were recruited from two community agencies in Wisconsin. Data were collected using both a self-report inventory, which was administered to each individual in an interview format, and a behaviour rating scale, which was completed by a knowledgeable staff member. Hierarchical regression was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Both sets of variables were found to explain a significant amount of the variance in life satisfaction. Within the sets, social support and interpersonal skills were individually significantly associated with life satisfaction. CONCLUSION: It is hoped that the results of this study will help support providers organise services in such a way that maximises the life satisfaction of the consumers that they serve.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2008 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2008.01106.x