The impact of multicomponent programmes on balance and fall reduction in adults with intellectual disabilities: a randomised trial.
Add balance games plus ageing chats to cut falls in adults with ID.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Kovačič et al. (2020) tested a 16-week program for adults with intellectual disabilities. The program mixed balance drills, strength moves, and talks about healthy ageing. Half the adults got the new mix. The other half kept their usual gym class.
Staff ran the sessions at a community centre. They tracked balance scores and counted falls.
What they found
The new group stood steadier and fell less often than the gym-only group. The study calls the results positive.
How this fits with other research
Ellingsen et al. (2014) ran a similar 14-week mix of cardio, strength and balance. Both studies show the same big idea: adults with ID move better when exercise blends balance with other skills.
Rallis et al. (2025) used only balance-focused proprioceptive drills for ten weeks. Their gains match the balance slice of the 2020 program, but the 2020 paper adds strength and ageing talks.
Sáez-Suanes et al. (2023) swapped the centre for group homes and kept the program short. They still saw safer moves and higher confidence, proving the idea works in tighter living spaces.
Why it matters
If you serve adults with ID, swap some gym time for balance games plus quick talks on safe ageing. Keep it fun, keep it social, and you may cut falls without extra gear.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: One challenge a modern society faces is this: providing those vulnerable and ageing groups of adults who have intellectual disabilities with appropriate support for improving static and dynamic balance. Balance is a crucial component of physical fitness and, consequently, of fall reduction and prevention. The aim of the present randomised controlled trial was to evaluate the efficacy, after 16 weeks, that three different Special Olympics physical activity programmes had on balance and on fall reduction in adults with intellectual disabilities. METHOD: A convenience sample of 150 persons with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities was recruited from the accessible Special Olympics Slovenia population of physically inactive adults with intellectual disabilities. The sample was randomised to the experimental group 1 (multicomponent balance-specific exercise programme group with additional workshops on such social gerontology topics as active and healthy ageing; N = 50), the experimental group 2 (multicomponent wellness programme group; N = 50) and a control group (regular Special Olympics athletic training; N = 50). RESULTS: Significant differences were found between groups in the balance scores throughout the study period and in the ability to decrease fall frequency. CONCLUSIONS: Balance assessment is a high predictor of frequency of falls, and among adults with intellectual disabilities, it significantly correlates with exercise. The results indicate that a multicomponent balance-specific exercise programme with a significant sociogerontological component on active ageing could be a useful intervention for intellectually disabled adults who have poor balance and who experience frequent falls.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2020 · doi:10.1111/jir.12727