Meeting the needs of individuals with developmental disabilties and mental retardation who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender: Are we there yet

The present study investigated the attitudes of staff members who serve individuals with developmental disabilities and mental retardation (DD/MR) towards the consumers they serve who have a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender sexual orientation. Subjects were recruited through an emailed advertisement that was distributed via the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies list serv. Once the data collection period was over, 46 subjects returned the completed questionnaire. Of those subjects, six were excluded from further study because they did not serve individuals with DD/MR. Frequency data was analyzed for each question. The majority of the respondents believed that an individual's sexual orientation is present from birth, regardless of DD/MR status. The majority of the respondents also endorsed the belief that individuals with DD/MR have an awareness of their sexuality, and an awareness of their sexual orientation. All of the respondents endorsed the belief that individuals with DD/MR have the right to express their sexuality whether it is heterosexual or homosexual. Fewer than half of the respondents indicated that they served an individual with an LGBT sexual orientation. The majority of the individuals who indicated that they served individuals with an LGBT sexual orientation found out from the individual him or herself and cited parents as the most frequent roadblock to supporting the individual in his or her sexuality. While most of the respondents discussed the individual's sexuality with him or her, those who did not cited its lack of relevance as the most frequent reason why they had not. Most respondents had not made any attempt to locate resources for the individual, and the most commonly cited reason was that it did not seem necessary. All respondents endorsed the belief that individuals with DD/MR could have a sexual orientation that is either heterosexual or homosexual, however, almost half of the respondents also endorsed the belief that it is a professionals responsibility to teach heterosexual vs. homosexual behavior to the consumers whom they serve. Almost all of the respondents would endorse some type of LGBT specific resource, ranging from group homes to social outings to support groups. Results were discussed in terms of their current implications and relevance for future research.