Authors
Izaskun Álvarez-Aguado, Miguel Roselló-Peñaloza, Leyre Álvarez Aguado, Vanessa Vega Córdova, Rodrigo Arriagada, Jennifer Figueroa Figueroa, Félix González-Carrasco, Felipe Muñoz La Rivera, Karla Campaña Vilo, Maryam Farhang
Published in
Intellectual and developmental disabilities. Pages 1-16. Oct 29, 2026. Epub Oct 29, 2026.
Abstract
Increased life expectancy among people with intellectual disability has led to a growing number of individuals aging with dementia, raising critical questions regarding how self-determination is experienced under these conditions. This qualitative study explored perceived self-determination among adults with mild to moderate intellectual disability and mild dementia residing in long-term residential care facilities in Chile. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 91 participants, using accessible communication strategies and visual supports. Data were analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis, guided by Causal Agency Theory. Five interrelated themes described how self-determination was expressed through everyday choices and preferences, goal-directed action, beliefs regarding personal control, relational and environmental conditions, and perceived changes over time. Findings show that self-determination is articulated through concrete, situated experiences rather than abstract notions of capacity, and is shaped by support practices and institutional contexts, highlighting the importance of enabling environments for sustaining autonomous participation.
PMID:
42956366
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 30 Oct 2026.
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