M. R. WELLER
is presented in this study in regards to role theory in their inter-
pretation of sexual scripts. Individuals with IDD are influenced
by roles that they observe and fulfill them just like everyone
else. Part of the study is exploring the insight that individuals
with IDD have about themselves and their developmental stage.
Smith and Willner (2004) examined the relationship para-
digms of men with IDD and how stronger, healthier relation-
ships may be a deterrent in men with IDD from acting out vio-
lent and aggressive sexual behavior. Steptoe, Lindsay, Forrest,
and Power (2006) correlated poor social adjustments and rela-
tionships with acting out of violent, aggressive sexual behavior
of sex offenders with IDD. It should be noted that this current
analysis does not investigate how self-identity may influence
sexual behavior, only looks at how adults with IDD may perce-
ive themselves either as children or adults.
In looking at this current investigation, it also raises ques-
tions about how self-concept is developed overall. When and
how does the concept of self emerge? Is there a physiological
difference between how people with cognitive disabilities and
those without any disability develop their own self-concept or
is the development of self-concept solely dependent on the
social environment or is it a combination of both?
Erikson (1982) noted the struggle, at the time of transition
from adolescence to young adulthood and eventually the pas-
sage into full adulthood, is between generativity versus self-
absorption and stagnation. “Generativity encompasses procrea-
tivity, productivity, and creativity, and thus the generation of
new beings as well as of new products and new ideas, including
a kind of self-generation concerned with further identity devel-
opment” (1982: p. 67). Essentially, Erikson notes that the stage
of adulthood takes on a new commitment towards caring for
others, which often corresponds with the time of procreation.
Ironically, most adults with IDD are being taken care of rather
than moving into the adult role of providing care for others; this
may account for the possibility of why some adults with IDD
do not necessarily relate to the role of an adult and/or acquire
the adult self-identity.
Although Erikson’s work may be considered to be somewhat
flawed and outdated, it is important to note his work around
human development and how it may be used to provide some
understanding of how individuals transition from one stage of
life development into the next. Erikson (1982) theorized about
the development of individuals as they progressed through var-
ious life stages starting at infancy through old age. He (Erikson,
1982) broke down human development into eight epigenetic
orders (infancy, early childhood, play age, school age, adoles-
cence, young adulthood, adulthood, and old age) with eight
corresponding stages (psychosexual, psychosocial crises, radius
of significant relations, basic strengths, basic antipathies, social
order, binding ritualization, and ritualism). “A pervasive sense
of identity brings into gradual accord the variety of changing
self-images that have been experienced during childhood (and,
that, during adolescence, can be dramatically recapitulated) and
the role opportunities offering themselves to young persons for
selection and commitment. On the other hand, a lasting sense of
self cannot exist without a continuous experience of a con-
scious ‘I,’ which is the numinous center of existence: a kind of
existential identity, then which must gradually transcend the
psychosocial one” (1982: p. 73). “In summary, the process of
identity formation emerges as an evolving configuration – a
configuration that gradually integrates constitutional givens,
idiosyncratic libidinal needs, favored capacities, significant
identifications, effective defenses, successful sublimations, and
consistent roles” (1982: p. 74). Taking into consideration all of
these processes as delineated by Erikson (1982), one can only
wonder how 73% of the participants in this study managed to
develop any sense of self as adults when considering their need
for ongoing support and in some cases close supervision. As
noted previously, adults with IDD are often treated like children
as they often need assistance with basic daily life skills includ-
ing personal care, money management, supervision, and so
forth.
Piaget’s work also has been criticized and debated through
the years, but again his classic theories regarding cognitive
development may provide some understanding into how indi-
viduals develop self-perceptions. Fischer (1980) was heavily
influenced by Piaget research as he also explored the construc-
tion of cognitive development. Fischer (1980) noted that little
research exists related to cognitive development beyond ado-
lescence. Fischer focuses on Piaget’s framework of cognitive
development that virtually ends with formal operations: “Ado-
lescents entering the formal operational period have achieved
fully logical thinking, and there is little more for them to do,
except perhaps to extend their logical thinking to new context
areas” (1980: p. 496). Piaget (1972) also took into considera-
tion that “the speed of development can vary from one individ-
ual to another and also from one social environment to another;
consequently, we may find some children who advance quickly
or others who are backward, but this does not change the order
of succession of the stages through which they pass” (p. 41).
Piaget (1972) also noted changes in adolescents’ social point of
view diverging from childhood. Here they begin to develop
their ability to hypothetical reasoning; “hence, the adolescent’s
capacity to understand and even construct theories and to par-
ticipate in society and the ideologies of adults” (1972: p. 42).
One may conceptualize that since individuals develop at dif-
ferent stages, it may be that some individuals with IDD suc-
cessfully transitioned into the adolescent stage and eventually
adulthood, whereas, other individuals with IDD may require a
much longer period of time to acquire the cognitive abilities in
adolescence and eventually adulthood, while other individuals
with IDD may never transition cognitively beyond childhood.
Piaget (1972) also compared development speed of children
based on their environment. “These different speeds would be
due to the quality and frequency of intellectual stimulation
received from adults or obtained from the possibilities available
to the children for spontaneous activity in their environment”
(1972: p. 44). He proposed that poor stimulation and activity, as
well as extremely disadvantaged conditions could result in
slowed down development (1972). Piaget looked at situations
that included individuals with normal development and failed to
include individuals with any disabilities. Additionally, Piaget
(1972) noted that “the study of young adults is much more dif-
ficult than the study of the young child as they are less creative,
and already part of an organized society that not only limits
them and slows them down but sometimes even rouses them to
revolt” (p. 47). Taking into consideration all of the challenges
in studying adults, layer on top of that developmental disabili-
ties, and it almost seems impossible to determine the under-
standing of why some individuals with IDD view themselves
accurately as adults, while others do not.
This study predominately focuses on self-perception of
adults with IDD but also takes into consideration aspects of
sexual attraction and behavior. Some related sexuality theories
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