Being a therapist of adults with intellectual disabilities. Considerations on adulthood with intellectual disabilities and its support

The idea of the text is to show and analyze the meanings therapists apply to supporting adulthood of persons with intellectual disability and the role they play in this support. Therapists are all specialist who construct support in adulthood and carry it out during workshops of occupational therapy or at community self-help homes. In the author opinion these are therapists who create the shape of the placements, the culture of the organization and its specific “adulthood supporting” climate. Therapists and their styles of functioning, individual philosophy of rehabilitation and the way they understand ( adulthood of people with) intellectual disability and realize their professional roles and tasks – are the most significant factors modelling the process of rehabilitation. The text is hence an inquiry aiming to answer the following questions: how the therapists define adulthood, exposing adulthood of persons with intellectual disability? What are the meanings they apply to professional roles realized in practice? How do they understand the process of supporting adulthood?

The idea of the text is to show and analyze the meanings therapists apply to supporting adulthood of persons with intellectual disability and the role they play in this support. Therapists are all specialist who construct support in adulthood and carry it out during workshops of occupational therapy or at community self-help homes. In the author opinion these are therapists who create the shape of the placements, the culture of the organization and its specific “adulthood supporting” climate. Therapists and their styles of functioning, individual philosophy of rehabilitation and the way they understand ( adulthood of people with) intellectual disability and realize their professional roles and tasks – are the most significant factors modelling the process of rehabilitation. The text is hence an inquiry aiming to answer the following questions: how the therapists define adulthood, exposing adulthood of persons with intellectual disability? What are the meanings they apply to professional roles realized in practice? How do they understand the process of supporting adulthood?