Background: There has been a shift in recent decades towards studying the strengths of people with intellectual disability to promote wellbeing. This study developed a conceptualisation of "thriving" specific to adolescents with intellectual disability. Method: A photo-elicitation qualitative design was used. Participants were 12 adolescents (ages 12-19) with a diagnosis of intellectual disability and their parents. Adolescents and their parents separately chose photos demonstrating thriving for the adolescent. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. Results: Reflexive thematic analysis was used. Five core themes that interact and contribute to thriving were developed: "Enjoying Life," "Developing," "Having a Positive Sense of Self," "Connecting," and "Mattering." Parents also identified the importance of adolescents being "Safe & Supported." Conclusions: This thriving framework can serve as a guiding template for community supports and future quantitative research studies for adolescents with intellectual disability.