Abstract
The aim of this paper was to examine the selected physical and motoric characteristics of students with mild intellectual disabilities. The total number of the participants was 119 (54 females and 65 males) and the mean age was 10.78 ± 1.88 years. Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, and body fat mass scores were collected to determine the physical characteristics. Handgrip strength, vertical jump, standing long jump, flexibility, and 20 m speed running tests were performed to determine the motoric characteristics. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 22 package program. Descriptive statistical methods were used in the evaluation of the data. The male students performed better than the female students in all motor performance tests except the flexibility test. The older students performed better, as in the previous studies. Most of the students in the study were found to have a low or normal body mass index. However, according to the literature, children with special needs tend to be overweight and obese due to sedentary lifestyle. One reason for this difference might be a small sample size. Other reasons could be different socio-economic backgrounds and different extracurricular physical activity habits.
Highlights
It is definitely important to understand the physical and motor development of children with mental disabilities if you want to better identify them, to better identify their needs and to better help them (Yılmaz et al, 2006).Mental disability is characterized by limitations in mental functions including serious deficiencies or limitations in the individual’s cognitive, language, and motor skills as well as in daily activities (Salvador & Bertelli, 2008) and social skills (Pitetti & Boneh, 1995; Skowronski et al, 2009).Today, the term “special needs individuals” is preferred to refer to such children in order to avoid labeling and negatively affecting them by causing a negative attitude
There were differences which can be attributed to the physical activity habits and play facilities of the students participating in this study, time differences in adolescence, socio-economic differences, motivational factors for the test or other characteristics of the sample group
The findings obtained in the present study showed that the body fat percentages of the female and male students were 25.27 ± 9.61 and 21.58 ± 9.26, respectively
Summary
It is definitely important to understand the physical and motor development of children with mental disabilities if you want to better identify them, to better identify their needs and to better help them (Yılmaz et al, 2006).Mental disability is characterized by limitations in mental functions including serious deficiencies or limitations in the individual’s cognitive, language, and motor skills as well as in daily activities (Salvador & Bertelli, 2008) and social skills (Pitetti & Boneh, 1995; Skowronski et al, 2009).Today, the term “special needs individuals” is preferred to refer to such children in order to avoid labeling and negatively affecting them by causing a negative attitude. It is definitely important to understand the physical and motor development of children with mental disabilities if you want to better identify them, to better identify their needs and to better help them (Yılmaz et al, 2006). Turkish Ministry of Education (TME, 2000) defines special needs individuals as individuals who, for various reasons, show significant differences in terms of individual characteristics and educational qualifications from their peers with normal development. An individual with a mild mental disability is defined as an individual with limited need for special and supportive education due to a slight level of insufficiency in cognitive functions as well as in social and adaptive life skills. The “special education class” is defined as a class opened in schools and institutions for students whose conditions require a separate class according to their type of disability, educational performances and characteristics (TME, 2006)
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