What was this project about?
It is important to understand what contributes to wellbeing and living a good life for youth with intellectual disability. Thriving is a positive psychology construct that involves a high level of wellbeing and continued growth and development (Brown et al., 2017). Previous research on thriving has typically focused on youth without intellectual disability (Lerner et al., 2010). The aim of the current study was to develop a conceptualization of thriving specific to adolescents with intellectual disability from the perspective of these youth and their caregivers.
How did we do this project?
We used photo-elicitation to understand the perspective of adolescents and their caregivers. Twelve Canadian adolescents with intellectual disability and their parents participated in photo interviews with a researcher. They each chose photos that represented “living my best life” for the adolescent.
What did we do with our research findings?
Themes were developed from the photo-interviews using qualitative research methods. Adolescents and their parents shared that these things contribute thriving: Enjoying Life, Developing, Having a Positive Sense of Self, Connecting, and Mattering. Parents also said that it is important for adolescents to be Safe and Supported.
This thriving framework can serve as a guiding template for community supports and future quantitative research studies on thriving for adolescents with intellectual disability.
An article summarizing our findings has been written and submitted to an academic journal. The results have also been presented at an academic conference.
Want to learn more?
Click here to see a summary book of what we learned in easy format that was developed with our self-advocate research partners.
Results
Want to know more about this project?
For more information, please contact Annie Mills at millsas@yorku.ca, or Dr. Jonathan Weiss, Principal Investigator on the study, at jonweiss@yorku.ca.
This project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.