The Benefits of Supporting the Autonomy of Individuals with Mild Intellectual Disabilities: An Experimental Study

BackgroundThe benefits of autonomy support with the general population have been demonstrated numerous times. However, little research has been conducted to verify if these benefits apply to people with special needs. MethodsThe goal of the study was to examine whether autonomy support (AS) can foster the sense of autonomy of people with a mild intellectual disabilities (MIDs) and improve their experience while engaging in an important but unpleasant learning activity. This experiment compares the effects of two contexts: with and without AS. All participants (N=51) had a mild intellectual disability and were recruited from rehabilitation centres. ResultsCompared to participants in the control group, participants in the AS group tended to experience greater autonomy satisfaction and tended to perceive more value to the activity. They were also significantly more engaged in it, and they experienced a steeper decrease in anxiety over time. ConclusionsThis study suggests that the benefits of AS extend to individuals with mild intellectual disability.