Informal social networks of people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities: relationship with age, communicative abilities and current living arrangements.

BACKGROUND People with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) have limited informal social contacts. Research to determine the factors which can positively influence establishing sound informal social contacts is required. MATERIALS AND METHODS Regression analysis for 200 people with PIMD was used to analyse how age, communicative abilities and current living arrangements were related to the number and frequency of their contacts. RESULTS Only age was negatively related to both the number and frequency of social contacts. Current living arrangements related only to the frequency of contacts. Communicative abilities related to neither. CONCLUSIONS Like people with intellectual disabilities, age and living arrangements are related to the informal social networks of people with PIMD. However, for people with PIMD, these networks are already more limited. Therefore, professionals need to be attentive to the maintenance and/or expansion of the social networks of people with PIMD at an early stage.