Meeting the daily needs of adults with IDD: The importance of informal supports

Abstract Like all people, adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) use a variety of supports to meet their daily needs. Due to diminished funding for government services, most adults with IDD are left with unmet needs and, thus, turn to informal supports to meet these needs. Informal supports refer to unpaid care provided by people within the individual's social network. Throughout this chapter, we review the literature, discussing the various types of informal support and the people who provide such support. Person-centered planning is highlighted as a way to promote self-determination, grow social networks, and secure individualized supports. Finally, we present current informal support initiatives for individuals with IDD and their families. Along the way, we underline the significance of informal supports in meeting the daily needs of this population, the role of the family in providing and coordinating such supports, the need to increase the size of social networks for adults with IDD, and the strengths-based lens that must be taken to provide individualized supports. We conclude by providing recommendations to increase and sustain informal supports.