Protect Yourself Abuse Prevention for People with Intellectual Disabilities

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) are at higher risk for abuse than the general population. Increasing numbers of people with ID are living independently in the community with both its benefits and its risks. Many individuals with ID are subjected to physical, sexual, and verbal abuse. Some of the characteristics found in people with ID - short attention span, difficulties with abstract concepts, overly compliant personalities, learning and memory deficits-- increase the likelihood of abuse and its negative consequences. Given the unique learning needs of individuals with ID, there is a pressing need for abuse prevention programs specifically tailored for both men and women with ID. The goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive prevention program - Protect Yourself Abuse Prevention for People with Intellectual Disabilities -- that will be designed specifically for this population and address their unique learning needs. In Phase I a prototyp