Examining Support Networks Among Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Understanding the support networks of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is important given that adults with IDD are outliving their parents-i.e., their primary caregivers. We surveyed 601 adult siblings of individuals with IDD to identify: Who provides caregiving support to adults with IDD? Do the types of caregiving support vary in relation to the support network role? To what extent do individual, sibling, and family characteristics correlate with the size of the support network? On average, individuals with IDD possessed small support networks, with most support networks comprised of family members (primarily parents). Individuals with Down syndrome (versus autism) reported larger support networks. Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed.