The Lived Experience of the Challenges of Adolescents with Intellectual Disability

Adolescence is known as one of the most challenging periods in human life, which brings many emotional, social and even educational crises. This course can be faced with more challenges and sufferings for teenagers who are intellectual disability, so the purpose of this research was to explain the lived experience of the challenges of intellectual disability teenagers. The research population included all boys with intellectual disability in the pre-professional and vocational schools of Kashan who were studying in the academic year 1402-1401, among them 9 people were targeted for Research were selected. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed with the 7-step Colaizzi method. The results indicated the extraction of 3 main themes and 9 secondary themes. The main themes are: 1- social challenge (1- job and career future and worry about it, 2- free time, 3- shame and embarrassment of recognition, 4- concern about marriage), 2- individual challenge (1- acceptance) The negatives were 2- positive acceptance, 3- diseases and the need for medicine, 4- financial independence), 3- family challenges (1- family attitude) which were examined in detail in the research. According to the results, it was determined that it is necessary to deal with the problems and challenges of intellectual disability teenagers, and therefore, providing support and educational services for teenagers and their families can reduce their problems.