Adolescents with Severe Disabilities: Family, School, and Community Integration

Abstract

Results of a study focusing on family, school, and community integration are provided herein. The study was comprised of 151 parents of adolescents with severe disabilities who completed written measures and responded to interview questions about their children and families. Results indicated that the adolescents primarily participated in family and home activities, with less frequent participation in school and community functions. Families were concerned with planning for future vocational and independent living experiences for their adolescent children, although more than half of the parents reported that obtaining a job and living outside the home in the future would be unlikely. The results of regression analyses indicated that both child characteristics and family variables play a predominant role in predicting an adolescent's level of integration in home and community, with only child characteristics predicting school integration.