CAREGIVERS' PERCEPTIONS OF CLOTHING FOR PEOPLE WITH SEVERE AND PROFOUND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

This exploratory study inquires into the role fashionable clothing plays in the normalization process and others' perceptions of people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities. The research was conducted with a sample of 10 caregivers. Fashionable clothing and attention to grooming are perceived to aid the normalization process and help facilitate positive perceptions from others. Poor grooming and clothing that is ill-fitting, out of fashion, or dirty hinder the normalization process and likely influence negatively others' perceptions of persons with severe and profound intellectual disabilities.