Reading material on improving movement analysis and therapy

The concept of intellectual disability and its definitions have been functioning in the literature relatively recently. It replaced such terms as: “retarded”, “special needs”, “disease”, “handicapped”, or “mentally handicapped”. The concept of “intellectual disability” has been included in both the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) classification and The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) issued under the aegis of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). However, in the latest edition of the International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision, the concept of mental retardation has been replaced by intellectual development disorders. This classification was approved by the World Health Organisation on 1 January 2022 and is being gradually introduced by other countries. According to ICD-11 Disorders of intellectual development are a group of etiologically diverse conditions originating during the developmental period characterised by significantly below average intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour that are approximately two or more standard deviations below the mean (approximately less than the 2.3rd percentile), based on appropriately normed, individually administered standardized tests. Where appropriately normed and standardized tests are not available, diagnosis of disorders of intellectual development requires greater reliance on clinical judgment based on appropriate assessment of comparable behavioural indicators. 

To diagnose disorders of intellectual development, it is necessary to confirm:  

1. significant limitations in intellectual functioning in various fields, such as perceptual reasoning, working memory, processing speed and verbal understanding. If possible, scores should be measured using appropriately normalized, standardized tests of intellectual functioning and found to be about 2 or more standard deviations below mean (i.e., less than the 2.3rd percentile).  
2. significant limitations in adaptive behaviour, which refers to the set of conceptual, social and practical skills that people have learned and that they use in everyday life.  
3. The onset occurs in the developmental period.  

People with intellectual disabilities are a very heterogeneous group of disorders of various etiologist, clinical picture and course. There is no single, typical set of physical and mental characteristics for all people with intellectual disabilities, although there may be common characteristics in certain groups. Disorders of intellectual development are associated with a high percentage of co-occurring mental, behavioural or neurodevelopmental disorders, some conditions are more common, for example, epilepsy, gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, visual and hearing dysfunctions, thyroid disorders and sensory disorders. Adults with intellectual disabilities are more likely than the general public to have mobility problems and take medications that can adversely affect health through side effects. Adults with intellectual disabilities are characterised by higher early mortality and multimorbidity compared to the general population. The onset of diseases is much earlier in this group, and the incidence of comorbidities at the age of 20–25 years is similar to that of the general population aged 50–54 years. What’s more, in the case of health problems, they have much greater difficulty accessing the necessary support and appropriate health care.  All this can affect the level of physical fitness, approach and ability to undertake various activities. Concomitant diseases can also be a contraindication to specific physical activities and you must take this into account at the planning stage.