Each year, the TASH Conference strengthens the disability field by connecting attendees to innovative information and resources, facilitating connections between stakeholders within the disability movement, and helping attendees reignite their passion for an inclusive world. This year’s conference theme, “Gateway to Equity,” explores inclusive communities, schools, and workplaces that support people with disabilities, including those with complex support needs, in living a fair, just, and balanced life. Return to TASH website.
Adult individuals with an Intellectual Disability (ID) are considered a hidden population. They are often stigmatized and ignored in many aspects of society and services. Currently, many families are taking a stand in advocating for their family member with a disability to experience as many aspects of adult life as they can. This has recently included experiencing adult long-term romantic relationships. As rates of couples within this population increase, couple and family therapists, social workers, and others who work with adults with ID are coming into contact with them more often. However, there is little understanding of the best way to conceptualize working with and understanding the dynamics of these couples. This poster will present a framework for understanding the important factors common across couples in which one or both has an ID. The theoretical framework provides an understanding of the particular dynamics and issues these couples face, and how these reciprocally influence one another. The framework is broken up by individual factors, family factors, factors within the couple dynamic, and culture/societal factors. Each factor of the framework and its intersection with the other factors will be described and discussed. A list of assessment questions to be used alongside the framework will also be presented. The direct usefulness and application of this framework as well as the assessment questions in daily practice and work with these couples will be discussed.
