Adult Day Services for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Adult day services (ADS) are therapeutic, social, and health-related activities that keep people in their homes, rather than institutional settings. While there is a growing body of literature on ADS for older adults, there is far less information available about ADS for younger adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDDs).

METHOD

Researchers conducted a scoping review of 6 databases (892 total articles).

RESULTS

After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 74 full articles were reviewed, with 10 articles meeting study requirements. The research team found the literature is limited to simple descriptive reports or interventions that use ADS as a platform.

CONCLUSIONS

Simply put, we know very little about the services provided to younger adults with IDD in ADS. Implications for future research are discussed, including the need to catalog the services offered in ADS for younger adults with IDD and to evaluate their impact on participant well-being.

Treatment of Aggression in an Adult With Intellectual Disability and Physical Impairment Through Function-Based Ambulatory Support

We report the case of a man who had intellectual disability and physical impairment, required assistance from care-providers when ambulating, and demonstrated aggression during transitions between locations. Results of a functional analysis suggested that aggression was negatively reinforced by termination of transition-assisted guidance from care-providers. Intervention evaluation found that aggression during transitions was eliminated by providing the man with ambulatory support through a gait-trainer device that removed the need for care-provider assistance. The case study supports and extends previous research on the analysis and treatment of problem behaviors occurring during environmental transitions.