It is generally assumed that children with intellectual disabilities (ID) have an increased risk of impaired visual information processing due to brain damage or brain development disorder. So far little evidence has been presented to support this assumption. Abnormal visual orienting behavior is a sensitive tool to evaluate impaired visual…

Background: Adults with intellectual disabilities (IDs) experience health inequalities and are more likely to live in deprived areas. The aim of this study was to determine whether the extent of deprivation of the area a person lives in affects their access to services, hence contributing to health inequalities. Method: A cross-sectional study…

Background: Sleep disorders are known to be very prevalent in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) but to date there has been limited objective assessment of either sleep disorders or of interventions such as the use of melatonin. Methodology: A protocol-driven assessment and intervention procedure was followed with three people with…

Directors of residential agencies for persons with intellectual disability in one U.S. state completed a self-administered, mailed survey to assess relative importance of information sources and decision factors in proxy healthcare decision-making. The most important sources were physician recommendations and input from the person; family input,…

Background: Falls among people with intellectual disability (ID) occur at a younger age than the general population and are a significant cause of injury and hospitalisation. There is very limited research investigating risk factors for falls among people with ID and none with people living outside of formal care arrangements, either independently…

Approximately 4.5 million Americans have an intellectual or developmental disability. Concern is increasing about these individuals' nutrition-related behavior and its implications for their health. This article reports on a systematic search of the current literature listed in the "PsycINFO" and "PubMed" databases related to nutritional status of…

Background: Self-injury, sleep problems and health problems are commonly reported in Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) but there are no comparisons with appropriately matched participants. The relationship between these areas and comparison to a control group is warranted. Method: 54 individuals with CdLS were compared with 46 participants with…

Health screenings conducted during Special Olympics competitions and games have consistently shown that a significant number of athletes with intellectual disabilities (IDs) were overweight or obese, and surveys have indicated that athletes need more fitness training than they receive from their sport practices. In 2002, Special Olympics initiated…

Background: People with intellectual disability often have poor health which may be improved through better health advocacy and enhanced communication with their general practitioner. To this end, we examined the use of the Comprehensive Health Assessment Program (CHAP) and the "Ask" health diary previously developed for adults with intellectual…

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are more frequently associated with tic disorders than expected by chance. Variable rates of comorbidity have been reported and common genetic and neurobiological factors are probably involved. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of tic disorders in a clinical sample (n = 105) of children and…

Minutiae, ends and junctions of finger tip or palm lines, were analyzed in a sample of 115 normal adult individuals, 40 cases of Down's syndrome, and 130 normal children (aged 6 to 14 years). (DB)

In an attempt to improve the identification of the asymptomatic carrier of classic phenylketonuria (PKU) 59 male and female normal control Ss were differentiated from 18 males and females heterozgous for PKU. (DB)

The child who is experiencing academic problems is often brought to the physician for diagnosis, treatment and counseling. (DB)

Evaluated were electroencephalographic findings in 24 untreated (ages from 4 to 38 years) patients suffereing from phenylketonuria (a metabolic disorder producing severe mental retardation if not treated with proper diet during the early years). (DB)