Quality of Life as a Paradigm With Multiple Applications in the Field of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

This paper sets out an argument for conceptualizing quality of life as a useful paradigm in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities. In doing so, it addresses the core elements of a paradigm as it is generally understood in scientific circles. The ideological and theoretical roots of quality of life are centered around core values, are closely connected to social constructs that have developed over time, are currently widely accepted in our field, and are supported by numerous laws, policies, and conventions. The meaning of quality of life as a paradigm is explained. One core premise of a paradigm is that its ideological and theoretical base should be usefully applied in current social contexts. This paper argues that the overall objective of improving quality of life for people living in their own contexts may be pursued through numerous application frameworks, each of which may have numerous specific application strategies that are best suited to the specific “quality” objectives being sought within specific contexts. For this reason, exemplary application frameworks and more specific application strategies are presented, and a case is made for ensuring that their outcomes are both achievable and positive. This, then, constitutes a new and broader understanding of quality of life as more than a useful social construct or a system of measurement, but rather as the overall thrust behind everything we do in our field and that may be realized in multiple ways. A summary figure is provided.