Self-concept and adaptive behaviour of people with intellectual disability in integrated and segregated recreation activities.
Mixing adults with ID into everyday recreation lifts how they feel about their bodies and themselves.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers compared two recreation programs for the adults with intellectual disability.
One group joined regular community sports and clubs with people without disabilities.
The other group stayed in special disability-only recreation programs.
After six months the team measured self-concept and adaptive behavior with standard tests.
What they found
Adults in the integrated programs scored higher on physical self-concept.
They also felt better about themselves overall.
The gains were small but statistically significant.
Segregated programs showed no change in these areas.
How this fits with other research
Oh-Young et al. (2015) meta-analysis of 24 studies backs this up. Their data show integrated school placements boost both academic and social skills for students with disabilities.
Nikolov et al. (2009) extends the idea to children. In inclusive summer camps a large share of typical peers willingly befriended kids with intellectual disability.
Rutland et al. (1996) seems to disagree. Their survey found older adults with ID rarely used community facilities. The difference is age: the 2002 study tested adults under 65 while the 1996 sample averaged over 65.
Pilowsky et al. (1998) and Young (2006) show the same pattern in housing. Smaller community homes beat large institutions on adaptive behavior and life quality.
Why it matters
You can lift self-concept by signing clients up for regular park district sports, church leagues, or community art classes. No extra staff needed—just typical neighbors. Start with one activity the client already likes and fade in supports. Track mood and participation; small gains still count for quality of life.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Pick one client, one regular community activity, and register them this week.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Leisure and recreation are areas in which the inclusion of people with intellectual disability (ID) in the community is required. In Israel, leisure activities have been developed over the past decade as part of the services provided to individuals with ID in the regular programmes of the community. However, even within those frameworks, people with ID are typically segregated from the whole population. METHODS: The purpose of the present study was to examine whether individuals with ID who participate in recreation activities with normal people as equals are different in their self-concept and adaptive behaviour from their counterparts who participate in segregated recreation programmes. Two hypotheses were examined: (1) whether people with ID who participate in integrated recreation programmes have a higher self-concept than those who participate in segregate programmes; and (2) whether individuals with ID who have better adaptive behaviour have a higher self-concept than people with ID who have lower adaptive behaviour. RESULTS: The hypotheses were partially confirmed. Differences were found in two subscales of self-concept. First, the physical self-concept of individuals with ID who participated in integrated programmes was found to be higher than that of their counterparts who participated in segregated programmes. Secondly, satisfaction with the whole self-concept of people with ID who participated in integrated programmes was found to be higher than of those who participated in segregated programmes. CONCLUSIONS: The implications of the research findings are discussed and future planning is recommended.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2002 · doi:10.1046/j.1365-2788.2002.00415.x