Parents' psychological, social and financial outcomes as related to the transition of their offspring with ID from adolescence to adulthood.
Caregiver stress and social support worsen as offspring with ID age into adulthood, while financial burden stays constant—plan support services accordingly.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Gur et al. (2020) asked parents how they feel while their son or daughter with intellectual disability moves from high school to adult life.
They sent a survey to two groups: parents of teens and parents of adults in their 20s and 30s.
The survey looked at social support, mood, money worries, and overall well-being.
What they found
Parents of older adults said they feel more alone and more sad than parents of teens.
Surprisingly, both groups reported the same level of money stress; costs did not rise with age.
In short, feelings get harder even when the bills stay the same.
How this fits with other research
Samuel et al. (2024) show the problem can be fixed: when parents over 50 join a peer-support program, their quality of life goes up and stress goes down.
Turban (2018) adds that simple family dinners or outings also lower depression, so support does not need to be fancy.
Tafolla et al. (2025) track respite use and find it drops just when parents need it most, explaining why social support feels thinner.
Together the four studies draw a clear road map: caregiver mood sinks after transition, but peer groups, family time, and steady respite can reverse the slide.
Why it matters
You can’t stop time, but you can plan support that grows with age. Start parent peer groups now, schedule regular respite before it fades, and build family social routines into the ISP. These low-cost steps tackle the real culprit—shrinking social support—while money stays flat.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: In general, there is extensive research on parents of young children with ID, particularly studies on stress and coping, social support as associated with quality of life. Unfortunately, there is scarce evidence -based knowledge on parental coping resources and well-being during the transition of their offspring from childhood to adulthood and thereafter. AIMS: This research responds to the scarce knowledge on the effect of the transition of children with ID into adulthood and particularly within adulthood on families. It examined the social, psychological, and financial differences among caregivers of offspring with ID in three age groups: (1) under the age of 21; (2) 21-30; (3) 31 and above. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Three hundred and one caregivers completed an income and expenditure survey, including out-of-pocket expenditures, assets and liabilities index, services use survey, financial and other types of assistance from friends and family, a questionnaire regarding resources and stress levels, a social participation scale, and personal wellbeing index. RESULTS: A statistically significant differences have been detected in the three caregivers' groups regarding the number of hours spent outside the house, social support, negative feelings such as frustration, sadness, and concern, life satisfaction and well-being. No significant differences have been identified in financial outcomes among caregivers' groups. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Findings are discussed in respect to research and practice and highlight caregivers' concerns regarding the transition of their offspring from adolescence to adulthood and afterward and in parallel to their own aging process.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2020 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103740