Mothers' Future Perspectives for Their Young Adult Children With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in a Minority Community Transitioning From Traditional Collectivism to Modern Orientations

Background and Aims: Mothers of young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in minority Arab communities undergoing rapid social transition navigate complex tensions between traditional collectivist norms and emerging modern orientations. This study examined mothers' perspectives on their children's adult futures and explored how shifting cultural values shape expectations for autonomy, family life, education, employment and long-term care. Methods: A qualitative design was employed using semi-structured interviews with 10 mothers of adolescents and young adults with mild to moderate intellectual and developmental disabilities. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic content analysis. Trustworthiness was enhanced through researcher triangulation, iterative consensus building and peer debriefing. Results: Mothers described an ongoing negotiation between collectivist family responsibility and selective openness to autonomy, education, employment and social participation. Adulthood was usually imagined within continuing family support rather than as separation from it. These expectations were strongly gendered: daughters were more often oriented toward basic daily independence, whereas sons were more often imagined in relation to work and, at times, marriage and future family life, usually with continued maternal involvement. Conclusion: These findings indicate that, in a society shifting from collectivist norms to modern orientations, adulthood for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities is imagined not through separation from family support, but through negotiated relational forms of adult life. The study highlights how expectations are shaped by family centrality and gendered assumptions about roles. It underscores the need for culturally responsive approaches that expand opportunities for participation while remaining attentive to relational support.