The Role of Adaptive Behavior and Parent Expectations in Predicting Post-School Outcomes for Young Adults with Intellectual Disability

This study examined the role of parent expectations and adaptive behavior in predicting outcomes for youth with intellectual disability. A sample of students with intellectual disability were drawn from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 for inclusion in this study. Four latent variables were created: demographic factors, adaptive behavior, parent expectations, and post-school outcomes. Structural equation modeling was used to test relationships between these constructs. Results indicated that adaptive behavior was more important than parent expectations in predicting post-school outcomes. Results supported the conclusion that adaptive behavior plays a critical role in post-school success for individuals with intellectual disability and that parent expectations alone were insufficient to ensure positive outcomes for youth with poor adaptive skills. Implications are discussed.