Understanding Natural Supports in Diverse Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Across Life Domains.
Family still carry most support load for adults with IDD, leaving work and housing dangerously uncovered.
01Research in Context
What this study did
McQuaid et al. (2024) asked adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities about their natural supports.
The team used a national survey. They looked at help people get in health, money, daily living, work, and housing.
What they found
Family give the most help in every life area.
Health gets the most support. Work and housing get the least.
Adults who take part in daytime activities and Black adults report more help overall.
How this fits with other research
Frazier et al. (2023) extends this picture. Those authors counted 64 family-reported barriers that block integrated jobs. The two studies agree: employment is a support desert.
Kramer et al. (2020) and Butterworth et al. (2024) back this up. Their reviews show fewer than one in five adults with IDD hold integrated jobs, even after decades of programs.
Storch et al. (2012) adds the parent view. That earlier qualitative work said formal and natural supports must work together. The new survey shows we still lean mostly on family, so the call for balanced, funded teamwork remains urgent.
Why it matters
When you write an ISP, list who will fill each work or housing support gap. If no natural helper exists, book paid supports early. Push for daytime activity slots; the data show they widen the whole support circle.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Although natural supports benefit individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), little is known about natural support provided within specific life domains or how race/ethnicity or support from professionals impacts the extent of natural support one receives. In this study, 518 parents of adults with IDD responded to a national survey about natural supports, including who provides support, the number of supporters, and variables that predict natural supports. Family most often provided support, although professionals and family friends were frequent supporters in several domains. Natural support was most extensive in health, least extensive in employment and housing. Individuals with IDD who regularly participated in daytime activities and/or identified as Black had more extensive natural support. Implications are discussed.
American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2024 · doi:10.1352/1944-7558-129.4.247