Quality of life is a social construct that is measured by what are considered to be its most appropriate indicators. Quality of life measurement in intellectual disability reflects a variety of indicators, often grouped under life domains. Subjective and objective methods of measuring indicators each have strengths and drawbacks, but it is…

This article examines two methodological issues regarding ways of obtaining and analyzing outcome data for people with intellectual disabilities: (a) self-report and proxy-report data and (b) analysis of population-based data sets. Some people with intellectual disabilities have difficulties with self-reporting due to problems of understanding and…

Little is known about the health status of and health risks faced by adults with intellectual disability who do not use intellectual disability services. Self-report data collected from 1,022 people with mild intellectual disability in England indicated that people who do not use intellectual disability services are more likely to smoke tobacco…

We examined parenting behaviors, and their association with concurrent and later child behavior problems. Children with an intellectual disability (ID) were identified from a UK birth cohort (N = 516 at age 5). Compared to parents of children without an ID, parents of children with an ID used discipline less frequently, but reported a more…

Results of previous research suggest that parents of children with intellectual disabilities are at increased risk of psychological distress and psychiatric disorder. Secondary analysis of the Millennium Cohort Study in the United Kingdom indicated that controlling for between-group differences in socioeconomic circumstances reduced the…

Over the last decade increased attention has been paid to identifying and responding to the mental health needs of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. There is, however, little information available on the use of self-report scales by young people with intellectual disabilities. This study sought to determine the reliability…

The implementation of policies associated with deinstitutionalisation has dominated the development of services for people with intellectual disabilities in most, although not all, of the world's richer countries (Braddock, Emerson, Felce & Stancliffe, 2001; Hatton, Emerson & Kiernan, 1995). In England, traditional large-scale institutional care…

While there is extensive evidence on the overall benefits of deinstitutionalisation, the move from institutional care to providing accommodation and support in small to medium sized dispersed housing schemes has not gone uncontested. Recently, a number of commentators have argued for the development of cluster housing on the basis that it may…

The experience of poverty has a pervasive impact on the health (including mental health) of children and their parent(s), on family functioning and on the life course of children. The aim of this paper is to consider the relevance of poverty to our understanding of the health (and mental health) of children with intellectual disabilities in the…

This introductory article discusses major Australian deinstitutionalization initiatives and presents data on trends in institutional living in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. All three countries continue to witness a fall in the institutional population of people with intellectual disability and an increase in community…

The costs, nature, and benefits of residential supports were examined for 20 adults with severe disabilities living in newly built residential campuses and 20 adults living in small community-based dispersed housing schemes. Participants living in dispersed housing schemes enjoyed significantly greater quality of care and quality of life.…

This article uses recent developments in United Kingdom services as a case study to identify challenges facing the provision of residential supports to people with intellectual disabilities. It discusses responding to existing levels of unmet needs and increasing demand, reducing inequalities in access and service quality, and obtaining and…

The United Kingdom literature on effects of deinstitutionalization of adults with developmental disabilities from 1980 to 1994 was reviewed. Analysis generally associated smaller, community-based residential services with improvements in user engagement, adaptive behaviors and challenging behaviors, community acceptance and integration,…