ABSTRACT
Interest in applying the systemic approach through the methods and techniques of family therapy with adults with intellectual disabilities and their families has grown. This chapter begins by defining the term "intellectual disabilities", documenting the evolution of this definition over time within the context of changing service provision. It describes the models of the development of psychological services for people with intellectual disabilities within this context, highlighting the individualized focus of such services. The chapter reviews the clinical and research literature concerning families where a member has intellectual disabilities, looking in turn at stress, coping, siblings, life-cycle transitions, loss, and parental patterns. It examines the utility of family therapy with this client group; an example from practice is included to demonstrate the use of this model. The label "intellectual disabilities" is used to describe a heterogeneous group of people who have various degrees of intellectual and functional impairments compared to a norm.
