Life Story Research with People Aging with Intellectual Disabilities: An Adaptation of the Lifeline Interview Method

A key feature of inclusive research is the accessibility of research procedures to meaningfully engage people with intellectual disabilities in research processes. Creating accessible research procedures requires innovations in methods traditionally used in research. This paper describes how the Lif...

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Main Authors: Lieke van Heumen, Tamar Heller
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-02-01
Series:Social Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/2/107
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author Lieke van Heumen
Tamar Heller
author_facet Lieke van Heumen
Tamar Heller
author_sort Lieke van Heumen
collection DOAJ
description A key feature of inclusive research is the accessibility of research procedures to meaningfully engage people with intellectual disabilities in research processes. Creating accessible research procedures requires innovations in methods traditionally used in research. This paper describes how the Lifeline Interview Method by Assink and Schroots was adapted and implemented in a study using life story research to better understand the experiences of older adults with intellectual disabilities. Twelve adults with intellectual disabilities over the age of 50 participated between two and seven times in interviews about their life histories. The interviewer assisted in the construction of timelines of key events in the participants’ individual life stories, and the participants decorated their lifelines throughout the course of the interviews. The lifeline process was an effective tool to engage the participants in the research process, support participation, and provide access for people with intellectual disabilities to retrieve their life experiences. Challenges in the lifeline process included barriers to gathering sufficient information to construct timelines and gatekeepers withholding access to information.
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spelling doaj.art-52b496b2f58e41288a4ef1ebe74db9262024-02-23T15:34:37ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602024-02-0113210710.3390/socsci13020107Life Story Research with People Aging with Intellectual Disabilities: An Adaptation of the Lifeline Interview MethodLieke van Heumen0Tamar Heller1Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois Chicago, 1640 W. Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL 60608, USADepartment of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois Chicago, 1640 W. Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL 60608, USAA key feature of inclusive research is the accessibility of research procedures to meaningfully engage people with intellectual disabilities in research processes. Creating accessible research procedures requires innovations in methods traditionally used in research. This paper describes how the Lifeline Interview Method by Assink and Schroots was adapted and implemented in a study using life story research to better understand the experiences of older adults with intellectual disabilities. Twelve adults with intellectual disabilities over the age of 50 participated between two and seven times in interviews about their life histories. The interviewer assisted in the construction of timelines of key events in the participants’ individual life stories, and the participants decorated their lifelines throughout the course of the interviews. The lifeline process was an effective tool to engage the participants in the research process, support participation, and provide access for people with intellectual disabilities to retrieve their life experiences. Challenges in the lifeline process included barriers to gathering sufficient information to construct timelines and gatekeepers withholding access to information.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/2/107life story researchintellectual disabilitiesinclusive researchaginglifelines
spellingShingle Lieke van Heumen
Tamar Heller
Life Story Research with People Aging with Intellectual Disabilities: An Adaptation of the Lifeline Interview Method
Social Sciences
life story research
intellectual disabilities
inclusive research
aging
lifelines
title Life Story Research with People Aging with Intellectual Disabilities: An Adaptation of the Lifeline Interview Method
title_full Life Story Research with People Aging with Intellectual Disabilities: An Adaptation of the Lifeline Interview Method
title_fullStr Life Story Research with People Aging with Intellectual Disabilities: An Adaptation of the Lifeline Interview Method
title_full_unstemmed Life Story Research with People Aging with Intellectual Disabilities: An Adaptation of the Lifeline Interview Method
title_short Life Story Research with People Aging with Intellectual Disabilities: An Adaptation of the Lifeline Interview Method
title_sort life story research with people aging with intellectual disabilities an adaptation of the lifeline interview method
topic life story research
intellectual disabilities
inclusive research
aging
lifelines
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/13/2/107
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AT tamarheller lifestoryresearchwithpeopleagingwithintellectualdisabilitiesanadaptationofthelifelineinterviewmethod