FINDS Community Report 2017: Family & Individual Needs for Disability Supports

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Families play an important role in providing care to their family members with I/DD. Supports provided vary widely and include interventions to support people in areas of behavior, health and medical supports (such as therapies), transportation, assistive technologies, and assistance with daily living activities such as preparing meals, personal care, shopping, etc. The Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) survey was initially conducted by The Arc of the United States in 2010. It was updated in 2017 through a collaboration between the Research and Training Center on Community Living (RTC/CL) at the University of Minnesota and The Arc. The purpose of FINDS is to understand the experiences of families who provide supports to a family member with IDD. An estimated 43.5 million people provide support to a family member who is aging or who has a disability (National Alliance for Caregiving, 2015).

Important questions exist about families who provide such support: 1. What are the challenges families face meeting the support needs of their family member? 2. What are the economic implications of caregiving? 3. How does caregiving affect caregivers and what supports do they need? Better understanding the experiences and needs of caregivers can help policy makers and other support caregivers in this important role.

Caregiving and Planning for the Future for People With Disabilities

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One of the great challenges facing today’s caregivers for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is balancing the responsibility of meeting their loved one’s present needs with establishing a plan to ensure their continued care and supports in the future.

In order to fully understand the many issues faced by caregivers across the country, The Arc of the United States and the University of Minnesota conducted the Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) survey. More than 3,000 individual caregivers completed the survey, the results of which reveal a national community of family members and friends who are already stretched thin by current caregiving duties and who have little to no plans for how to support their loved one in the future.

Employment of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: 2017 Snapshot

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Despite recent progress in employment legislation and local-level employment initiatives, finding and securing meaningful and community-based employment opportunities continues to be a major challenge for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) – including people with autism, Down syndrome, and other diagnoses across the country. The Family & Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) survey asked caregivers about some of the underlying causes for the large gaps that exist in employment outcomes for people with disabilities. The results indicate that there is a significant need to immediately address and improve practices that facilitate education and employment for people with I/DD.

Abuse of Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

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This brief report provides information on the abuse of children with I/DD, including statistics on the risk of abuse, how to identify abuse, and recommendations on preventing and reporting abuse.

Pathways to Justice: Get the Facts on Interacting With Your State’s Protection and Advocacy Organization (P&A)

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This fact sheet describes state Protection and Advocacy (P&A) organizations and how they can potentially help a person with I/DD who is involved in the criminal justice system.

The Arc’s Justice Advocacy Guide

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This guide provides an overview of how professionals can assist those with IDD who become caught up in the justice system as victims or suspects.

How People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Benefit from the ACA

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Learn how the Affordable Care Act benefits people with I/DD.

Pathways to Justice: Get the Facts Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

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This fact sheet provides an overview of autism, autism and the criminal justice system, and identification and communication tips for justice professionals.

Pathways to Justice: Get the Facts Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)

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This fact sheet provides an overview of FASD, FASD and the criminal justice system, and identification and communication tips for justice professionals.