Purpose This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of organizational strategies, attitudes and supports that can help people with intellectual disabilities to access competitive jobs through supported employment. Design/methodology/approach A multiple case study was carried out based on an intentional sampling involving the coworker mentors of six people with intellectual disabilities currently working in standardized environments. Semi-structured interviews were performed with the participants, and an inductive thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Findings The study identified five critical factors in the work of people with intellectual disabilities in standardized work environments, which potentially could act as facilitators or as obstacles, depending on how they were managed. The study also identified two key factors that acted mainly as facilitators and one as an obstacle. Originality/value The study reveals the existence of factors that sometimes act as facilitators and sometimes as obstacles, depending on how they are managed by the company leaders or the disabled worker himself.

Theory of Mind (ToM) is a construct of cognitive, social and affective skills that contributes to a better effectiveness of interpersonal relationships, as well as a better understanding of social scenarios. Its evolution throughout adulthood is being subject of extensive study. We have done a quasi-experimental design study with a healthy aging sample of 69 people ranging in age from 65 to 94. The purpose was to understand the evolution of ToM abilities in this group of age; to determine whether these abilities evolve equally and clarify which aspects influence this evolution. Results show a progressive decrease in the scores registered in the elders, mainly from the age of 79. But this decline is uneven, since 2nd order false belief tasks, that is, tasks with greater cognitive complexity, obtain worse results at an older age. On the other hand, findings indicate that the variable that has the most influence on ToM skills is social activity, followed by verbal reasoning. Likewise, in line with the most recent literature, age itself is not shown as a factor that justifies the decrease in mental abilities, but rather the individual social and cognitive changes associated with it. These results reinforce the link between social activity, mental performance and cognitive health, in such a way that social activity based on interpersonal relationships becomes a tool for the prevention of social isolation and cognitive deterioration associated with the most advanced stages of adulthood.