Social participation of persons with intellectual disabilities

Paradigm shift from medical to social model of disability has aroused interest in testing the quality of social participation of the persons with intellectual disabilities (ID). Participation refers to involvement of individuals with ID in real-life situations, the extent of the involvement, and reaction of society to the functioning level of those persons. Research focus was also re-directed from impairment per se to assessment of needed support for living within community. The sample will consist of 350 persons with mild, moderate and severe ID, and 350 persons of average intelligence in the control group. Life Habits Scale, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment, Modified Overt Aggression Scale, Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Scale and other appropriate assessment tools will be used in the project. Research results will provide insight into the existing level and quality of social participation of persons with ID in Serbia. Based on the results of this research, it will be possible to define contextual factors which represent an obstacle to greater social participation of these persons. The results will also enlighten some personal characteristics which may be significant for social participation of these persons.