Family-based social capital of emerging adults with and without mild intellectual disability.
Young adults with mild ID include fewer peers and siblings in their core support network and have less reciprocal family ties—plan targeted social-skills and peer-integration goals.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Giesbers et al. (2020) asked emerging adults with mild intellectual disability to list their closest family helpers. They compared these lists to those of same-age peers without disabilities.
The team counted who was named, how often help flowed both ways, and how many peers or siblings were in each network.
What they found
Young adults with mild ID named fewer people overall. Their networks held fewer siblings and friends, and help flowed one way more often.
In plain words, their family circle was smaller, less give-and-take, and more parent-heavy.
How this fits with other research
Granieri et al. (2020) seems to disagree. They found strong, active sibling ties in the same age group. The gap is simple: E asked caregivers about shared fun; H asked the young adults themselves. Caregivers see game nights; the young adults still feel their circle is small.
Curryer et al. (2018) set the stage. Their interviews showed adults with ID rely on family but feel limited control. H adds numbers to that story.
Erickson et al. (2016) used the same compare-to-typical design with teens. They saw higher worry; H sees smaller support nets. Both point to the same gap—transition-age youth with ID feel less equipped.
Why it matters
Your transition plan should add goals that grow peer and sibling ties, not just parent support. Ask the client to name two non-parent helpers, then teach reciprocity skills like texting first or planning a shared ride. A wider, two-way net now predicts better adult outcomes later.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Add one peer or sibling to the client’s weekly activity schedule and teach a reciprocal text or call script.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Family is recognised as an important context for the self-development of young adults in emerging adulthood, although very little research has addressed the perspective of young people with intellectual disability about their families by using self-report. This study examined how emerging adults with mild intellectual disability define their family support networks, compared with definitions of students without intellectual disability, within a social capital theoretical framework. METHODS: Fifty-three participants with mild intellectual disability and 53 students without intellectual disability were interviewed individually using the Family Network Method - Intellectual Disability (FNM-ID). Data from the FNM-ID relate to key social network measures on how individuals define their family groups, and how they perceive existing supportive relationships within their families. Participants with mild intellectual disability and students were compared on the FNM-ID social network measures. RESULTS: Participants with mild intellectual disability reported fewer family members who they considered significant to them than students without intellectual disability. They were less likely to include peers (i.e. friends and partners) and siblings in their significant family networks, had fewer relationships with family members in which they received or gave support, had fewer reciprocal support relationships and had a less central position in their family network. DISCUSSION: The family-based social capital of emerging adults with mild intellectual disability differed from that of students without intellectual disability. They may remain more dependent on their natural family for emotional support as their supportive networks have not necessarily made the transition to networks with emotionally close peer relationships.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2020 · doi:10.1111/jir.12764