Exercise and Intellectual Disability

Looking for a safe place and an expert team to deliver Exercise Physiology to someone you know with an Intellectual Disability?

We can help!

Exercise Physiologists Help Motor Skill Development in ID

Exercise programs for people living with developmental and intellectual disabilities involve understanding how these conditions can affect movement, learning, and motor planning.

Each person and the way their condition impacts them is very unique which requires looking deeper into the goals of the individual and how to best utilise exercise to reach them. When working with people with developmental or intellectual disabilities AEPs look for task or game based movements that work towards the clinical goals while enjoying the sessions. Our mobile exercise physiologists modify and adapt exercise prescription regularly to meet the needs of our clients and their goals.

People living with intellectual disabilities are among the least active in our population. Unfortunately, for kids living with disabilities, a delayed development leads to reduced physical activity and further limitations to learning the same motor skills as others their age.

Not only are motor and social skills not developed, but this physical inactivity leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. People with disabilities benefit from the overall health improvements of exercise, as well as benefiting from improving specific deficits linked to their condition.

Exercise programs help people with developmental delay to learn new movement patterns such as walking, crawling, and jumping. Further, exercise improves muscle tone and balance.

For people with intellectual disabilities, exercise often helps increase ability to focus and improves confidence to interact throughout their community.

Exercise Physiology and Intellectual Disability

In February 2020, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission published a report exploring why people with intellectual disability die 20-36 years earlier, on average, than individuals without an intellectual disability.

They found that respiratory diseases were the most common underlying cause of early death, followed by diseases of the nervous and circulatory systems.

Many of these diseases can be prevented, or successfully identified and managed, with appropriate support from allied health professionals.

Therefore, it is incredibly important to consider the positive impact that dietetic, exercise physiology and physiotherapy support can have on quality of life in managing disability-related health concerns and reducing risk of further morbidity (and disability) and early mortality.

Learn More About How We Can Help

We have extensive experience working with individuals living with

• Down syndrome

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

• Developmental delay

• Prader-Willi syndrome

• Williams syndrome

• Bardet-Biedl syndrome

• Foetal alcohol spectrum syndrome

• Angelman’s syndrome

• Chromosomal disorders

• Fragile X syndrome

Intellectual disability is a broad term used to describe difficulties in learning and communication which can significantly impact the daily life of the individual and their family. The impact of intellectual disability on a person’s independence and functional capacity can range from mild to severe or profound.

Achieving excellent health and wellbeing may seem daunting to individuals with intellectual disability and/or their carers, and it can be difficult to know where to start!

Rebound Health’s skilled, expert allied health team provide high quality intellectual disability services and support.  We can help by assessing your needs and goals and providing recommendations to get you started.

Our mobile service is ideal for individuals with an intellectual disability who feel more comfortable in a familiar setting such as their own home. It also allows health recommendations to be put into place where they are most helpful and meaningful.

Give us a call on (02)9907 6023 or fill our NDIS referral form below to arrange a call.