This paper reviews and evaluates issues and methodologies for the assessment and promotion of quality of life (QOL), a multidimensional and dynamic construct frequently used to measure psychological and physiological wellbeing in people with intellectual disability (ID). Objective and subjective components of QOL are critically reviewed, together with the social and psychological factors that impinge on it. The paper discusses contrasting approaches to the assessment of QOL, including process-centered and outcome-centred approaches to evaluation. The difficulties related to eliciting subjective QOL from people with ID are outlined, and the problems inherent in the substituted use of proxy evaluations of QOL for people with ID are discussed. In the absence of relevant research in this group, proxy research findings from health-related literature are related to QOL issues for people with ID. Finally, the paper proposes that future research should directly address the question of concurrence in QOL evaluatio...

Quality of Life Issues in the Development and Evaluation of Services for People with Intellectual Disability.

This study examines the empirical validity of a multi-dimensional model of community adjustment, utilizing a sample of adults with disabilities from semi-independent living programs in 4 western states. The findings confirm a proposed 4 dimensional model, including occupation, residential environment, social support/safety, and client satisfaction as largely independent dimensions of community adjustment These findings are discussed with respect to the current Federal model of transition in the United States, looking particularly at the implications for program planning and program evaluation.

An Empirical Analysis of the Dimensions of Community Adjustment for Adults with Mental Retardation in Semi-Independent Living Programs

The social behavior of 208 mentally retarded residents in 18 group homes was observed and analyzed in terms of their (a) informal grouping behavior, (b) affiliation, and (c) intense social relationships ("friendships"). Moderately to mildly retarded residents engaged in "social" types of behavior in groups (primarily dyads) and "neutral" types of behavior when alone. In contrast, profoundly retarded residents did not behave differently when others were present, although they did display social types of behavior. Residents' affiliative behavior was not as related to personal characteristics (sex and intelligence) as it was to (a) size of the group home, (b) average intelligence of the residents in the home, (c) sex ratio in the home, and (d) homogeneity of the residents' backgrounds. Although residents in large homes affiliated more extensively with others, intense relationships were as likely in large as in small homes. Sixteen intense friendships were identified and described. In total, the results support the view that the group home environment can influence residents' affiliation and friendship.

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Gail O'Connor

Papers

Home Is a Good Place: A National Perspective of Community Residential Facilities for Developmentally Disabled Persons