I have just written ten real life stories of adults living with intellectual disabilities:

IMAGINE THIS:

BERTA and ALBERT (not their real names) are retired. They live in a rural location. Their son DONALD (not his real name) who is in his early 50s has a developmental disability and Cerebral Palsy. Donald has an older brother and younger sister who live far away. His parents have always taken responsibility for his care. Following fifteen years in group homes, he moved to a long term care facility where he is benefiting from the social activities offered.

DOMINIQUE (not his real name) is in his thirties and has a mild intellectual disability. This affects his judgement in social situations and his ability to complete complex tasks. He manages to live independently with some paid and family support. He holds low skilled, paid and voluntary jobs. Dominique enjoys socializing with friends, eating out, shopping and having a girlfriend.

HARRIET (not her real name) is in her fifties and measles at age seven left her with a significant intellectual disability and very limited verbal language skills. Recently she moved from an institution to a home in the community, receiving 24 hour support. Everyone is trying their best, but because of her lack of language communication skills, efforts to determine what she likes or dislikes are really based on trial and error.