Autonomy in Residential Facilities and Community Functioning of Adults With Mental Retardation

Over a 3-year period, we examined whether the autonomy of 58 adults living in residences for people with developmental disabilities was associated with their adaptive behavior and community integration. Degree of resident autonomy included measures of opportunities for choice-making and level of involvement in policymaking. All of the participants lived in nursing homes at baseline and in residential settings for people with developmental disabilities at follow-up. Results indicated that opportunities for autonomy in residential settings were related to residents' adaptive behavior and community integration. More opportunities for choice-making in residences was associated with greater adaptive behavior, whereas smaller residence size and more resident involvement in decision-making were associated with greater community integration.