Reconsidering sexuality, relationships, and parenthood for adults with intellectual disability.

Abstract

Adults with intellectual disability (ID) have the same basic needs for intimacy and belonging and the same range of sexual desires and preferences as others (Eastgate, 2005;Neuman & Reiter, 2017). Furthermore, like most persons without ID, many grow up hoping to find a partner and start a family (Bernert, 2011;Siebelink et al., 2006). Marriage, and even more so parenthood, may hold special significance for individuals with ID. As a public affirmation of a person' s sexuality and sexual maturity, parenthood marks a rite of passage into the adult world (Booth & Booth, 1995;May & Simpson, 2003). As such, persons with ID may view parenthood as a path to adult status and the respect it engenders, as well as a repudiation of infantilizing sexual and reproductive oppression. For persons with ID, who may have felt "different" their entire lives, parenthood may be "the great equalizer" (Finucane, 1998, p. 38) or "expression of ordinariness" (Booth & Booth, 1995, p. 33), affording them not only a socially valued role, but also a nonstigmatized identity.Many adults with (mostly) mild ID are experiencing satisfying sexual lives, forming loving and lasting relationships, and bringing up children. Barriers of prejudice and isolation prevent many others with ID from doing so. Community attitudes are slowly changing, but young people and adults with ID are still denied access to sexuality and relationship education, on an equal basis with others;

Support as described by fathers with intellectual disabilities

“…First, certain educational activities should be undertaken to eliminate discriminatory practices towards fathers with intellectual disabilities. It is essential to treat them with respect, in an unintrusive and sensitive way, and considering their specific, individual needs to ensure their voice matters (McConnell et al, 2021). Second, the role of a father is not limited to undertaking care and educational activities, it also includes providing for the family, therefore the support should cover many areas of paternal role and its multiple contexts, personal and environmental.…”

“…It should be noted that many studies concerning parents with intellectual disabilities focus on mothers, not fathers (McConnell et al, 2021).…”

“…It should be noted that many studies concerning parents with intellectual disabilities focus on mothers, not fathers (McConnell et al, 2021). This may be due to several factors, such as there are more cases of motherhood than fatherhood in this population, more mothers with intellectual disabilities are parenting than fathers with intellectual disabilities and, consequently, formal or informal deprivation of fathers' participation in the upbringing of the child, as well as a weaker concentration of specialist services for supporting fathers (Ćwirynkało, 2021; Llewellyn & Hindmarsh, 2015).…”

Fathers with Intellectual Disabilities Talk about their Plans, Hopes, and Children’s Future. A Qualitative Research Report

“…Furthermore, father's role in parenting is often limited, in favour of mothers and grandparents of children taking responsibility for the parenting process (Wos and Baczała, 2021;Ćwirynkało, 2021b). However, various studies indicate that a large number of parents, including fathers with ID, with adequate support and their own resources, successfully cope with difficulties they encounter (McConnell, Aunos, Pacheco, and Hahn, 2021), form long-term, stable relationships (Booth and Booth, 2002;Ćwirynkało, 2021a) as well as love and care for their children (Karpińska, 2019;Ćwirynkało, 2021b;Wołowicz, 2021). The sphere that remains unexplored are these parents' plans, dreams and perception of future.…”

Intimate partner violence against women with intellectual disability: A relational framework for inclusive, trauma‐informed social services

“…Such cultural practices are pernicious because they reproduce a deficit-based perspective, stigmatise women with intellectual disability and elicit paternalistic social responses. The evidence shows that few valid generalisations can be made about the abilities or limitations of women with intellectual disability(McConnell et al, 2021). It is therefore incumbent on workers to seek to grasp the particularity of each woman's life situation, including their strengths and limitations, resources and constraints.Critically, women with intellectual disability occupy multiple subject positions.…”