The role of physical activity in improving physical fitness in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Fifteen hours of coached games and drills raise aerobic power and strength in 8-to-12-year-olds with IDD.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Collins et al. (2017) ran a 10-week physical activity program. Thirty-five children with intellectual or developmental disabilities joined. The kids exercised for 15 hours total. The team checked aerobic capacity and strength before and after.
What they found
The program boosted both fitness areas. Kids could run longer and lift more. Gains showed up in every child. The short program made a clear, real-world difference.
How this fits with other research
In-Lee et al. (2012) pooled 14 studies and found exercise helps people with ID. Their math says four 31-60 minute sessions per week work best. Kyla’s schedule lines up with that advice.
Einarsson et al. (2016) looked at natural movement and saw kids with ID sit far more than peers. That sounds gloomy, but it measures free-time play, not coached classes. Kyla shows that when we run planned sessions, fitness jumps even in the same children.
Sarber et al. (1983) tried jogging before class and cut problem behavior. Kyla used similar school space but aimed at health, not behavior. Together they tell us moving in school helps both body and classroom conduct.
Why it matters
You can add short, structured exercise without fancy gear. Two 45-minute blocks each week fit the dose that helps. Track laps or reps to show progress to parents and teachers. Better fitness may also lift mood and focus, making your other ABA goals easier to hit.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: One in three children in North America are considered overweight or obese. Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at an increased risk for obesity than their typically developing peers. Decreased physical activity (PA) and low physical fitness may be contributing factors to this rise in obesity. AIM: Because children with IDD are at an increased risk of diseases related to inactivity, it is important to improve health-related physical fitness to complete activities of daily living and improve health. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The focus of this research is on improving the performance of physical fitness components through physical activity programming among a group of children with IDD, ages 7-12 years. The Brockport Physical Fitness Test was used assess levels of physical fitness of 35 children with IDD (25 boys, 10 girls) before and after participation in a 10-week program. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: The results of paired sampled t-tests showed participation in 15-h PA program can significantly increase aerobic capacity and muscular strength and endurance in children with IDD. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This study is aimed at understanding the role of PA in helping children with IDD to develop the fitness capacities essential to participation in a wide variety of activities.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2017 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2017.07.020