People with intellectual disabilities undergo mourning over all kinds of bereavement. The worst and most painful is the loss of a loved one. The general stance for a long time was to keep them away from the reality of bereavement in an overly protective manner, to prevent suffering. However, with the necessary support, people with intellectual disabilities are able to handle and process painful experiences and emerge all the stronger, like the rest of the population.
The present article defines mourning and its processes, considers how death is represented in the mind of a person with intellectual disabilities, and defines normal versus pathological mourning.
Finally, some considerations are offered on appropriate attitudes for family members or caregivers in the face of imminent or recent bereavement, in order to help the person with a disability through the mourning process and provide the requisite support.