Background: Dysphagia can have serious health implications including choking and respiratory infection leading to poorer quality of life. People with intellectual disabilities are at higher risk of dysphagia related health complications and early death. Robust dysphagia screening tools are vital for this population. Method: A scoping review and…

Background: We investigated how many individuals with Rett syndrome were undergoing interventions to reduce stereotypic hand movements and the factors determining the presence or absence of an intervention. Method: A questionnaire was sent to 194 families. Each survey item was compared between the intervention and non-intervention groups according…

Background: A measure to provide insight regarding health-related quality of life of adults with severe motor and intellectual disabilities was lacking. For this reason, the CPADULT was developed. This measure includes domains relating to an individual's physical, mental, and social functioning. The purpose of this study was to assess the…

Background: This study investigated the completion rates, scores and factors associated with non-completion and low scores on physical capability tests in a health survey administered to adults with intellectual disabilities. Method: Assessment comprised body mass index (BMI), the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), the timed up-and-go…

Background: Insight in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of adults with severe disabilities who are non-ambulatory is important, but a measure is lacking. The aim was to develop a HRQoL measure for this group. Method: The developmental process consisted of the adaptation process of a proxy HRQoL measure for children with severe disabilities…

Background: It is generally acknowledged that parent social support is an important target for intervention. To explore the specific needs of parents of young children with a significant cognitive and motor developmental delay (SDD), we aim to chart the sources and perceived sufficiency of the social support they receive. Method: Within the…

Background: Children with a significant cognitive and motor developmental delay are pre-symbolic communicators. The primary aim of this study was to reveal the variability within the communicative functioning of this group of children in terms of communication level, the reasons to communicate and behavioural expressions. Methods: Twenty-six…

Background: Intellectual disabilities and autism are lifelong and often co-occur. Little is known on their extent of independent association with sensory impairments and physical disability. Methods: For Scotland's population, logistic regressions investigated age-gender-adjusted odds ratios (OR) of associations, independently, of intellectual…

Background: Although people with disabilities are more exposed to violence and sexual abuse, research on the judicial process in such cases is still lacking. This study uses crime statistics to describe this phenomenon. Method: A national sample from the National Criminal Investigation Service in Norway was analysed for the period October 2015 to…

Background: Cognitive impairments are often assumed to underlie individuals' difficulties with understanding health issues. However, it was predicted that socially excluded individuals would have greater difficulty gaining understanding of sensitive topics related to sexuality than other public health messages, such as alcohol use. Method: The…

Background: Negative healthcare provider attitudes may contribute to healthcare disparities in adults with intellectual disabilities. This study identified predictors of nurses' attitudes and emotions toward caring for adults with intellectual disabilities in the United States. Method: A convenience sample of 248 nurses was used to collect nurses'…

Background: Poor postural care can have severe and life-threatening complications. This scoping review aims to map and summarize existing evidence regarding postural care for people with intellectual disabilities and severely impaired motor function. Method: Studies were identified via electronic database searches (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and…

Background: Angelman syndrome (AS) leads to clinical manifestations that include intellectual impairments, developmental delay and poor motor function. Initiatives to develop therapeutics imply an urgent need to identify methods that accurately measure the motor abilities. Methods: Six children with AS (6 to 9 years old) walked on an instrumented…

Background: Obtaining employment is among the most important ambitions of people with intellectual disability. Progress towards comprehensive inclusive employment is hampered by numerous barriers. Limited research is available on these barriers and strategies to overcome them. Method: A mixed method approach in a sample of 30 HR-managers was used…

Background: The objectives of this study were: (i) to compare the behavioural intentions of high school students towards individuals with intellectual disabilities and individuals with physical disabilities and (ii) to explore reasons for these behavioural intentions. Materials and methods: A sample of 319 Grade 9 and Grade 12 students in Ontario,…