Quality-of-Life Characteristics of Individuals With Intellectual Disability Entering a Residential College Program

The number of postsecondary education (PSE) programs is increasing in the United States and worldwide with the goal of improving quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes for people with intellectual disability (ID). The current study explored if people with ID entering a residential college-based PSE program differed or were the same in their reported QOL outcomes as other young adults with ID. Findings indicate that soon-to-be college students responded similarly to national samples on a majority of QOL indicators. An important difference existed in paid employment; college-bound individuals responded more often that they had a paid job compared to respondents of the national surveys. Implications for studying QOL outcomes of individuals with ID who attend college and for practice and policy are discussed.