Social Media Use Training for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT

People with intellectual disability use social media; however, there are barriers preventing them from using and benefiting from social media to the same extent as others. Some barriers include lack of knowledge, limited skills and inaccessibility. This pilot study used a sequential mixed method design to explore the outcomes of a social media training program for adults with intellectual disability aimed at social media use and increased social networks of participants. Six participants (mean age 35.7 years) participated in training focused on cyber safety and support to use individualised social media use goals. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, Goal Attainment Scale, and Circles of Communication Partners tools were used to examine the outcomes of training and changes in the participants’ social networks. Semi-structured interviews with participants and one staff member provided insight into participants’ experiences and perceptions of training outcomes. Findings indicated that participants achieved some of their goals and communicated with more people online after training compared to before training. Preliminary outcomes suggest that social media use training may assist adults with intellectual disability to strengthen social connections, gain digital literacy skills, and increase self-confidence online. Further research is needed with a larger sample, including a control group.

KEYWORDS:

• Intellectual disability
• adults
• social media
• supported accommodation
• training

Acknowledgments

The authors firstly acknowledge and thank the participants who were involved in this study. We also extend our gratitude to the management and staff of the accommodation service that supported this research project. Thanks are extended to the practicum student, Adele Demasi for her contributions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded by Flinders University Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences Seeding Grant