The need for assessment of sensory functioning in ageing people with mental handicap.
Adults with ID, especially Down syndrome, often have hidden cataracts and hearing loss—screen yearly and chase the aids.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team ran a one-time survey of older adults with intellectual disability. They asked about eyesight, hearing, and use of glasses or hearing aids.
Down syndrome and severe ID groups got extra attention. The goal was to see how many had sensory loss and whether anyone was helping them.
What they found
Cataracts and hearing loss were common, especially in adults with Down syndrome. Yet half of these problems had never been noticed before.
Even when problems were known, aids like glasses or amplifiers were rarely given.
How this fits with other research
Aller et al. (2023) looked at kids, not elders, and still found odd sensory scores in Down syndrome. Together the papers say: test the senses at every age.
de Knegt et al. (2015) used touch-and-pain lab tests in adults with DS. Their fine data back up the call for routine screening started by Dougherty et al. (1994).
Kennedy (2004) showed teens with severe ID can learn multi-cue tasks on a screen. That lab skill fits the same idea: check the senses before you teach.
Why it matters
If you serve adults with ID, add vision and hearing checks to the yearly plan. A five-minute screen can spot cataracts or hearing loss that masquerade as "behavior." When you fix the sense, you often fix the "problem." Start today: ask about glasses and aids at intake, and track if they are actually used.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Within the framework of a study on the ageing process of people with mental handicap in the Netherlands, information about visual and hearing impairments in 1583 people with mental handicap living in group homes or institutions was obtained from their physicians by means of a written questionnaire. Of the people with Down's syndrome (DS) who were older than 50 years of age, 46% had a visual impairment, whereas approximately 13% of subjects with other causes of mental handicap at the same age experienced similar visual impairment. Hearing loss in this age group was reported in 28% of people with DS, but only in 8% of subjects with other causes of mental handicap. The most common eye condition was cataracts, and the most frequent cause of hearing impairment was infection. In people with severe and profound mental handicap of all ages, sensory impairments were more frequent than in persons with mild or moderate mental handicap. Glasses or hearing aids were rarely used by people with severe or profound mental handicap. Assessment of visual and hearing impairments in people with mental handicap seemed clearly indicated, especially in those aged 50 years and older, in those with DS, and in those with severe or profound mental handicap.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 1994 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.1994.tb00396.x