Developmentally Disabled Adults in Community Living: The Significance of Personal Control

Virtually absent from the debate surrounding the benefits and setbacks of community living for the developmentally disabled is an understanding of community life from the viewpoint of the clients. This article presents findings from an ethnographic study of seven mildly developmentally disabled adults. The study challenges the assumption that integrated community housing provides an independence similar to that enjoyed by the normal population. It is proposed that although service support focuses on the behavior of developmentally disabled individuals, it needs to go a step further to the state of mind of the clients. Being in control of one's own life, including enjoying the freedom to make mistakes, is presented as a significant prerequisite to the traditional living goals of independence and integration.