Progressive resistance training for persons with intellectual disabilities and visual impairment.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge concerning the feasibility and effects of progressive resistance training (PRT) for persons with intellectual disabilities and visual impairment who are categorized in Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) Level 1 is limited. The aim of our study was to evaluate feasibility and effect of PRT on participants' Quadriceps strength and personal goals. METHODS: Eight Participants followed a PRT program for 10 weeks. Feasibility was determined by percentage of attendance and compliance. The effect of PRT was analyzed with a linear mixed model (p < 0.05) and by normalized bootstrap (95% CI). RESULTS: Participants attended 87.8% of the sessions and trained according to the PRT program, indicating sufficient compliance. Quadriceps strength increased significantly by 69%, and participants' personal goals were achieved. CONCLUSION: PRT is a feasible and potentially effective method for increasing Quadriceps strength as well as achieving personal goals in persons with intellectual disabilities and visual impairment with GMFCS Level 1.

Measuring Quadriceps strength in adults with severe or moderate intellectual and visual disabilities: Feasibility and reliability.

BACKGROUND: A feasible and reliable instrument to measure strength in persons with severe intellectual and visual disabilities (SIVD) is lacking. The aim of our study was to determine feasibility, learning period and reliability of three strength tests. METHODS: Twenty-nine participants with SIVD performed the Minimum Sit-to-Stand Height test (MSST), the Leg Extension test (LE) and the 30 seconds Chair-Stand test (30sCS), once per week for 5 weeks. Feasibility was determined by the percentage of successful measurements; learning effect by using paired t test between two consecutive measurements; test-retest reliability by intraclass correlation coefficient and Limits of Agreement and, correlations by Pearson correlations. RESULTS: A sufficient feasibility and learning period of the tests was shown. The methods had sufficient test-retest reliability and moderate-to-sufficient correlations. CONCLUSION: The MSST, the LE, and the 30sCS are feasible tests for measuring muscle strength in persons with SIVD, having sufficient test re-test reliability.

Validity of the modified Berg Balance Scale in adults with intellectual and visual disabilities.

BACKGROUND: A modified version of the Berg Balance Scale (mBBS) was developed for individuals with intellectual and visual disabilities (IVD). However, the concurrent and predictive validity has not yet been determined. AIM: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the concurrent and predictive validity of the mBBS for individuals with IVD. METHOD: Fifty-four individuals with IVD and Gross Motor Functioning Classification System (GMFCS) Levels I and II participated in this study. The mBBS, the Centre of Gravity (COG), the Comfortable Walking Speed (CWS), and the Barthel Index (BI) were assessed during one session in order to determine the concurrent validity. The percentage of explained variance was determined by analyzing the squared multiple correlation between the mBBS and the BI, COG, CWS, GMFCS, and age, gender, level of intellectual disability, presence of epilepsy, level of visual impairment, and presence of hearing impairment. Furthermore, an overview of the degree of dependence between the mBBS, BI, CWS, and COG was obtained by graphic modelling. Predictive validity of mBBS was determined with respect to the number of falling incidents during 26 weeks and evaluated with Zero-inflated regression models using the explanatory variables of mBBS, BI, COG, CWS, and GMFCS. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that two significant explanatory variables, the GMFCS Level and the BI, and one non-significant variable, the CWS, explained approximately 60% of the mBBS variance. Graphical modelling revealed that BI was the most important explanatory variable for mBBS moreso than COG and CWS. Zero-inflated regression on the frequency of falling incidents demonstrated that the mBBS was not predictive, however, COG and CWS were. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that the concurrent validity as well as the predictive validity of mBBS were low for persons with IVD.

The impact of visual impairment on the ability to perform activities of daily living for persons with severe/profound intellectual disability.

BACKGROUND: The ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) as a component of participation is one of the factors that contribute to quality of life. The ability to perform ADL for persons experiencing severe/profound intellectual disability (ID) may be reduced due to their cognitive and physical capacities. However, until recently, the impact of the significantly prevalent visual impairments on the performance of activities of daily living has not yet been revealed within this group. AIM: The purpose of this prospective cross-sectional study was to investigate the impact of visual impairment on the performance of activities of daily living for persons with a severe/profound intellectual disability. METHOD: The Barthel Index (BI) and Comfortable Walking Speed (CWS) were used to measure the ability of performing activities of daily living (ADL) in 240 persons with severe/profound ID and having Gross Motor Functioning Classification System (GMFCS) levels I, II or III; this included 120 persons with visual impairment. The impact of visual impairment on ADL was analyzed with linear regression. RESULTS: The results of the study demonstrated that visual impairment slightly affects the ability of performing activities of daily living (BI) for persons experiencing a severe/profound intellectual disability. GMFCS Levels II or III, profound ID level, and visual impairment each have the effect of lowering BI scores. GMFCS Levels II or III, and profound ID level each have the effect of increasing CWS scores, which indicates a lower walking speed. A main effect of visual impairment is present on CWS, but our results do show a substantive interaction effect between GMFCS level III and visual impairment on Comfortable Walking Speed in persons with a severe/profound intellectual disability. CONCLUSIONS: Visual impairment has a slight effect on ability to perform ADL in persons experiencing severe/profound ID.