Friendship patterns and community integration of family care residents.
Family-care residents already mix with nondisabled neighbors, but staff choices often drive the contact.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The authors visited family-care homes and asked adults with intellectual disability who their friends were.
They also noted how often residents joined in everyday community spots like stores, churches, and clubs.
The goal was to see if people living in family-style care actually mix with nondisabled neighbors.
What they found
Most residents could name both disabled and non-disabled friends.
They also showed up in regular community places, not just disability-only events.
Still, the team wondered if the residents picked these friends on their own or if staff set the contacts up.
How this fits with other research
Lam et al. (2011) later surveyed many more adults and ranked family-model homes above independent apartments for community ties. Their larger sample sharpens the 1989 picture.
English et al. (1995) looked at adults living alone and saw almost no contact with nondisabled neighbors. The clash with Davison et al. (1989) fades once you see the settings: family-care hosts naturally mix people, while solo apartments leave tenants isolated.
Egli et al. (2002) added that homelike décor and upbeat staff boost staff-started chats, which then spill into more community outings. This extends the 1989 finding by showing one way to grow those friendships.
Why it matters
When you tour a placement or write an ISP, ask not just "Does the person leave the house?" but "Who chose the activity and the companion?" Push for homes that feel homelike and train staff to start real conversations. These simple levers can turn staff-arranged outings into self-owned friendships.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →During your next visit, ask the client to name one friend they picked themselves, then plan an outing the client chooses to meet that friend without staff arranging the ride.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Friendship patterns and community integration of mentally retarded persons living in family care homes were examined. A sample of 104 home providers completed a set of questionnaires which provided information on demographic characteristics, client maladaptive behavior, climate of the home, amount and variety of participation in community environments, and number and frequency of visitations with friends. Family care home residents were reported to have both handicapped and nonhandicapped friends and to participate in numerous community environments. Other evidence, however, raised questions about the selection of friendships and the independence of community integration. Correlates of community participation and friendship visits were examined. Results are discussed in terms of possible implications for family care services.
Research in developmental disabilities, 1989 · doi:10.1016/0891-4222(89)90004-8