Intellectual Disability Group Research Articles

The Game of Life soccer program: Effect on skills, physical fitness and mobility in persons with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder

Soccer is the world's most popular sport. The present authors evaluated the effect of the Game of Life (GOL) soccer initiative on soccer skills, fitness and mobility of adults with intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The programme is comprised of once-weekly sessions. soccer skills, fitness and mobility. Effectiveness was evaluated using within-/between-group analyses (e.g. effect size, ES). Fifty adults with intellectual disability and 19 with ASD (age=31.80±10.11) participated in this study. From pre-test to post-test, the intellectual disability group improved their soccer skills (ES=0.437); physical fitness-the intellectual disability group presented trivial ESs, whereas the ASD group showed moderate-to-large ESs; Mobility-only the ASD group presented a significant improvement (ES=-0.435), and the intellectual disability group presented better ability in most outcomes in pre- and post-tests. The findings indicated differences in entry-level performance and training impact between the two groups. This should be considered when developing training programmes for soccer players.

Comorbid Psychiatric Diseases in Children with Intellectual Disability and the Relationship Between Comorbid Psychiatric Diseases and the Levels of Anxiety Depression in Mothers

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the comorbid psychiatric disorders in children with intellectual disabilities (ID) and to evaluate the relationship between comorbid psychiatric disorders and mothers' anxiety depression level.Materials and Methods: 80 participants and their mothers whose ages are between 0-18 years and are diagnosed with intellectual disability and 60 healthy participants aged between 0-18 years without any chronic physical and psychiatric disease and their mothers were included in the study. A psychiatric interview according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria was conducted to determine if there is a comorbid psychiatric disease with the cases in the patient group. A sociodemographic data form and Beck Depression Scale and Beck Anxiety Scale were given to the subjects in both groups in order to determine the anxiety depression level of the mothers. Results: The anxiety and depression levels of the mothers in the ID group were found to be higher than those healthy and controlled mothers (p<0.001 for both). In addition, 55.6% of the cases in the ID group were detected to have comorbid psychiatric disease. Mothers with comorbid psychiatric disorders had higher anxiety depression scores than those without comorbid psychiatric diagnosis (p<0.001 for both). Conclusion: In this study, a high rate of comorbid psychiatric disease was found in children with ID. However, anxiety depression levels were higher in mothers of patients with comorbid psychiatric disorders. Comorbid psychiatric diseases cause more psychological burden on the mothers, therefore it is important that these children be assessed in this respect and to make the necessary interventions.

Perampanel-induced weight gain depends on level of intellectual disability and its serum concentration

BackgroundBody weight (BW) gain may be induced by perampanel (PER) administration, similar to the well-known adverse effects of valproic acid and gabapentin. Intellectual disability (ID) and serum PER concentration may be risk factors of BW gain. PurposeThis study investigated how ID and serum PER concentration are associated with PER-induced BW gain. MethodsSubjects were 76 patients with epilepsy (41 men, aged 16–70 years). All patients were divided by intelligence quotient (IQ) into no ID (IQ ≥ 70, n = 24), mild to moderate ID (70 > IQ ≥35, n = 31), and severe to profound ID (IQ < 35, n = 21) groups. BW was measured before and 2, 4, 6, and 12 months after initiation of PER treatment, and serum PER concentration at 12 months. ResultsBW gains in the mild to moderate ID group at 4, 6, and 12 months were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than in the no ID and in the severe to profound ID groups. At 12 months, BW gain was associated with serum PER concentrations in the no ID (p = 0.034) and the mild to moderate ID (p = 0.001) groups but not in the severe to profound ID group. Multiple linear regression analysis found BW gain at 12 months was positively correlated with the mild to moderate ID group (β = 0.373, p = 0.002) and serum PER concentration (β = 0.241, p = 0.047). ConclusionsThe mild to moderate ID group gained more BW than the no ID group, suggesting that PER-induced food intake was greater due to weaker behavioral control in the mild to moderate ID group. The present study suggests a linear correlation between serum PER concentration and BW change.

Epilepsy in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

The comorbidity of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and epilepsy has been widely discussed but many questions still remain unanswered. The aim of this study was to establish the occurrence of epilepsy among children with ASD to define the type of epileptic seizures and syndromes, the age of onset of epilepsy, EEG abnormalities, the used antiepileptic drugs and the therapeutic responses for seizures and autistic behavior, as well as to find some correlations between epilepsy and gender, etiology and intellectual disability (ID). A retrospective study of medical files of 59 patients (aged 1–18 years) with ASD during a 5-year period was performed. ASD diagnosis was based on the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. The patients were examined with a detailed medical history, physical and neurological examination, as well as some additional functional, imaging, laboratory and genetic investigations ASD etiology was syndromic in 9, probable syndromic in 9, and idiopathic in 41 children. ID was established in 90% of ASD children, and epilepsy in 44.4%. The onset of epilepsy prevailed before 7 years of age. The most common seizure types were focal with or without secondary generalization (53.4%). Focal epileptiform EEG abnormalities prevailed. Therapeutic response to seizures was good: 58% were seizure-free, while 27% had >50% seizure reduction but no improvement in autistic behavior. There was no correlation between epilepsy and either occurrence or degree of ID. There was a correlation between the frequency of epileptic seizures and the degree of ID. There was no significant difference among epilepsy rates in different etiologic, gender, and ID groups, probably because of the high percentage of ID and because this was a hospital-based study. Our study showed a significant percentage of epilepsy in ASD population and more than 1/4 were of symptomatic etiology. Those could be managed with specific treatments based on the pathophysiology of the gene defect.

Bone quality in young adults with intellectual disability involved in adapted competitive football

ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to analyse bone quality parameters of football players with intellectual disability (ID) participating in adapted competitive football. Sixty-seven male football players with ID were studied: 22 with Down syndrome (DS) and 45 without DS. The average age was 26 years (range: 16 ̶ 50 years). A group of 25 age-matched sedentary individuals with ID (11 DS and 14 non-DS) and another group of 20 healthy participants of the same age group not involved in competitive football were comparatively analysed. There were no differences in the bone quality parameters when the healthy sedentary individuals were compared with both the sedentary and the football players with ID. However, the speed of sound (SOS), T-score, and estimated bone mineral density (BMD) were of higher values in the football players with ID than in the sedentary ID group (p < 0.05). On comparing the football players with non-DS ID with the sedentary non-DS individuals, significant differences were noted in SOS (p < 0.01), T-scores (p < 0.01), and estimated BMD (p < 0.01). Four of the 45 non-DS (8.9%) and none of the football players with DS had T-scores less than −1.5. Two of the 14 sedentary non-DS participants (14.3%) had T-scores indicating osteoporosis. In summary, the ID population actively involved in football showed higher values of bone mass parameters than their sedentary ID and healthy peers. The participants with non-DS ID showed a higher prevalence of osteoporosis than the football players with DS. Participation in sports seems to prevent bone loss in individuals with ID.

Adjusting a mainstream weight management intervention for people with intellectual disabilities: a user centred approach

BackgroundPeople with intellectual disabilities (ID) may not be able to access and respond to uniformly delivered health interventions. Public bodies have a legal duty to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to policies and practices to provide fair access and treatment for people with ID. This study aimed to identify adjustments to the Slimming World weight management programme to improve accessibility and assess acceptability and feasibility for this population.MethodsThis user-centred qualitative study was carried out with a steering group of people with ID (n = 4). Barriers and facilitators to using Slimming World were identified through interviews and focus groups with people with ID (n = 54), carers (n = 12) current members with ID (n = 8) and Slimming World group leaders (n = 11). Adjustments were made and their feasibility and acceptability were explored in a before-and-after mixed methods study where people with ID attended Slimming World for eight weeks. Participants (n = 9), carers (n = 7) and Slimming World group leaders (n = 4) were interviewed to explore their experiences of the adjustments. Participants were weighed at baseline then each week.ResultsFour key adjustments were identified and addressed by Slimming World who developed prototype Easy Read materials and a letter for carers. Six of the nine participants attended Slimming World for eight weeks and lost weight (1.4 kg to 6.6 kg, reduction in BMI between 0.5 and 1.7 kg/m2), indicating that the adjustments were feasible and acceptable. Two participants dropped out because they felt uncomfortable in a mainstream group and another left because they lacked control over food choice in their residential setting.ConclusionsThis user-centred approach identified reasonable adjustments that were feasible to implement. In a small uncontrolled feasibility study, people with ID were positive about the adjustments and lost weight. However, issues in the wider context of people’s lives, such as obesogenic environments and concerns about joining mainstream groups, limited the acceptability of Slimming World even with these adjustments. These findings have important implications for policy and suggest that environmental and organisational level interventions are needed alongside those targeting individual behaviour to tackle the obesogenic environment in which many people with ID spend their time, in order to reduce inequalities associated with the consequences of obesity.

The effectiveness of methylphenidate in the management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in people with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review

BackgroundThe effectiveness of psychostimulants, primarily methylphenidate (MPH), in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the general population of typically growing children and adolescents is well established through many Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs). Aims and methodsWe carried out a systematic review of all the RCTs in people with intellectual disabilities (ID) that assessed effectiveness of MPH on the core ADHD symptoms. Outcomes and resultsWe included 15 papers from 13 studies that were all on children and adolescents with ID (315 participants were on MPH and placebo respectively), 12 of which used a cross over design, and one used a parallel design. On average around 40–50% responded to MPH in the ID group whereas around 70–80% response rate is reported among the non-ID children. Because of the heterogeneity of the outcome data it was not possible to carry out a meta-analysis. Significant adverse events included sleep difficulties and poor appetite along with weight loss and also irritability, social withdrawal and increased motor activities including tic. Conclusions and implementationOn the basis of the poor quality evidence that is available, it seems that MPH may be effective in some but not all children and adolescents with ID and ADHD.

The Bender Gradual Scoring System for Assessment of People with Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract The Bender Gradual Scoring System (B-GSS) is one of the main systems of visual-motor assessment used in Brazil. Studies, however, seldom address samples with atypical development. This study tested the psychometric properties of the B-GSS items in a sample of individuals with typical development (Group A; n = 198; aged between seven and 10 years old; group application) and in a sample with intellectual disabilities (Group B; n = 203; aged between 11 and 30 years old; individual application), in accordance with ethical recommendations. The results reveal figures with differential functioning. Figure 6 was biased toward group A, while figures 1 and 2 were biased toward group B. Test of the information curve indicates low precision for extreme scores. There is a need for further research to better understand how the B-GSS items work across different samples in order to verify whether such findings can be generalized to other samples.

Long-stay patients with and without intellectual disability in forensic psychiatric settings: comparison of characteristics and needs.

In recent years, concerns have been raised that too many patients stay for too long in forensic psychiatric services and that this is a particular problem in those with an intellectual disability. To compare the characteristics, needs, and care pathways of long-stay patients with and without intellectual disability within forensic psychiatric hospital settings in England. File reviews and questionnaires were completed for all long-stay patients in high secure and a representative sample of those in medium secure settings in England. Between-group analyses comparing patients with and without intellectual disability are reported. Of the 401 long-stay patients, the intellectual disability and non-intellectual disability groups were strikingly similar on many sociodemographic, clinical and forensic variables. The intellectual disability group had significantly lower lengths of stay, fewer criminal sections, restriction orders and prison transfers, and higher levels of behavioural incidents and risk assessment scores. In spite of similar offence histories and higher risk levels, those with intellectual disability appear to be diverted away from the criminal justice system and have shorter lengths of stay. This has implications about the applicability of the Transforming Care programme to this group.

Under representation of people with epilepsy and intellectual disability in research.

PurposeOne quarter of people with epilepsy have an intellectual disability (ID) and one fifth of people with an ID have epilepsy. Both conditions are associated with higher levels of morbidity, stigma and premature mortality. There have been calls for action to promote more research in this group. We examined if this group are represented adequately in current research.MethodsThe proportion of research output in epilepsy conferences and publications relevant to ID and the proportion in ID conferences and publications on epilepsy for 2015–2016 were identified. As the percentage of children in the population with epilepsy is 17%, research output of this group was compared with the ID group. Recognised material was classified based on whether it applied to general epilepsy/ID research, children with epilepsy or people with epilepsy and ID. Data was analysed to determine the proportion of presented research specifically identifying people with epilepsy and ID.ResultsFewer than 2% of presentations at epilepsy conferences specifically related to the ID and epilepsy group compared to 15% relating to children with epilepsy. Similarly only 1.4% of the research presented at major ID conferences related to those with people with epilepsy and ID. About 5% of published research in the field of epilepsy related to those with ID as compared with 24% for children with epilepsy. Twelve percent of published research in ID specifically identified epilepsy.ConclusionPublications and conference presentations, on the population with epilepsy and comorbid ID is under-represented. Increased research in this area might assist in improving the quality of care for this relatively neglected group.

Primary care for people with an intellectual disability - what is prescribed? An analysis of medication recommendations from the BEACH dataset.

BackgroundPeople with intellectual disability (ID) experience a range of health disparities. Little is known about differential primary care prescribing patterns for people with and without ID.AimTo compare medications recommended by GPs at encounters where ID is recorded versus other encounters.Design & settingAnalysis of national Australian GP medication data from the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) programme, January 2003–December 2012 inclusive.MethodMedication recommendations made at encounters where an ID-defining problem was recorded as a reason for encounter (RFE) and/or as a problem managed, were allocated to the ‘ID group’ (n = 563). These encounters were compared with all other encounters (the ‘non-ID group’, n = 1 004 095) during the study period. Following age–sex standardisation of ID group encounters, significant differences were determined by non-overlapping 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsAntipsychotics and anticonvulsants were recommended more frequently at ID group encounters than at non-ID group encounters. Antidepressant and anxiolytic recommendation rates did not differ between groups. Narcotic analgesic and antihypertensive recommendations were significantly lower at ID group encounters.ConclusionHigher rates of epilepsy and mental illness, and off-label use of some antipsychotics and anticonvulsants for behaviour management in people with ID, may have contributed to medication recommendations observed in this analysis. Lower narcotic analgesic recommendations at ID group encounters may relate to complex presentations and the nature of problems managed, while lower antihypertensive recommendations may indicate some potential omission of routine blood pressure measurement.

Performance of the Autism Spectrum Rating Scale and Social Responsiveness Scale in Identifying Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Cases of Intellectual Disability.

The Autism Spectrum Rating Scale (ASRS) and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) have been widely used for screening autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the general population during epidemiological studies, but studies of individuals with intellectual disability (ID) are quite limited. Therefore, we recruited the parents/caregivers of 204 ASD cases, 71 ID cases aged 6-18 years from special education schools, and 402 typically developing (TD) children in the same age span from a community-based population to complete the ASRS and SRS. The results showed that the ID group scored significantly lower on total and subscale scores than the ASD group on both scales (P < 0.05) but higher than TD children (P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic analyses demonstrated a similar fair performance in discriminating ASD from ID with the ASRS (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.709, sensitivity = 77.0%, specificity = 52.1%, positive predictive value (PPV) = 82.2%) and the SRS (AUC = 0.742, sensitivity = 59.8%, specificity = 77.5%, PPV = 88.4%). The results showed that individuals with ID had clear autistic traits and discriminating ASD from ID cases was quite challenging, while assessment tools such as ASRS and SRS, help to some degree.

Older Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Sweden: A Register Study of Diagnoses, Psychiatric Care Utilization and Psychotropic Medication of 601 Individuals

In a Swedish sample of persons eligible for disability services and aged 55 years or older in 2012, persons (n = 601) with autism spectrum disorder diagnoses registered in specialist care were identified. Register data concerning diagnoses of other psychiatric disorders, psychiatric care, and psychiatric medication were reviewed. More than 60% had been in contact with psychiatric care. The majority had no intellectual disability (ID) diagnosis recorded during the study period. Apart from ID, affective disorders, anxiety and psychotic disorders were most commonly registered; alcohol/substance abuse disorders were uncommon. Psychotropic drug prescriptions were very common, especially in the ID group. Professionals need awareness of this vulnerable group; studies concerning their life circumstances and service requirements should be conducted.

Sleep habits and sleep disorders among children with autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities and typically developing children in Oman: a case-control study

ABSTRACTStudies conducted in the West countries suggest that sleep habits and disordered sleep are common among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To explore the rates of sleep habits and disordered sleep among children with ASD in comparison to typically developing (TD) children, and children with other intellectual disabilities (ID). A case control study was conducted among 122 cases of children with ASD (ASD group), and 2 randomly-selected control groups: 81 children with intellectual disabilities other than ASD (ID group) and 90 typically developed children (TD group). Overall, the mean score of the Children's Sleep Habit Questionnaire for the ASD group was higher compared to the ID group and TD group which indicated that children with ASD had a lower quality of sleep compared to TD and ID children. Congruent with international trend, children in Oman with ASD performed poorly compared to other children including those with other developmental disorders.Abbreviations: ADHD: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; ASD: autism spectrum disorder; ID: intellectual disabilities; TD: typically developed; DSM-V-TR: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision; SQUH: Sultan Qaboos University Hospital; CSHQ: Children Sleep Habits Questionnaire

Delayed Latency of Postural Muscles of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities.

Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) (50 < IQ < 79) show impaired motor and postural control, these impairments are highly related to falls and injuries. Recent studies demonstrated these impairments are related with fine and gross motor development, which are more strongly associated with cognition, and consequently language for individuals with ID than for without ID. Despite these studies, little is known about the structure and functioning of this population's spinal cord, which is highly involved in postural control. The aim of our study was to assess the latency of the reflex responses in postural muscles after unexpected lateral external perturbations, in individuals with intellectual disabilities compared to typically developed participants. We assessed 16 participants with intellectual disabilities, 9 males and 7 females (aged 24.06 ± 8.66 years) and 20 typical developed participants (CG), 11 females, 9 males, (aged 21.20±1.96 years). While the participants were in an upright standing position electromyography was used to collect data from M. obliquus externus abdominis (OE) muscles, which were activated by unpredictable perturbations applied by a servomotor on a hand-held grip, following the lateral external perturbation to the trunk. The intellectual disabilities group presented contralateral OE muscles latency of 85.71±27.24 ms, and CG group presented 68.62±10.25 ms, no differences was found. Ipsilateral OE muscles latency also did not differs between the groups, ID group showed 96.60±30.20 ms and CG group showed 95.57±33.53 ms. Our study furthers the knowledge about the muscular activity of individuals with intellectual disabilities. The present experimental results may suggest unique spinal cord processing of individuals with intellectual disabilities when they are faced with unexpected lateral external perturbations.

Genetic and clinical evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction in autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability.

Clinical conditions commonly associated with mitochondrial disorders (CAMDs) are often present in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). Therefore, the mitochondrial dysfunction hypothesis has been proposed as a transversal mechanism that may function in both disorders. Here, we investigated the presence of conditions associated with mitochondrial disorders and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) alterations in 122 subjects who presented ASD with ID (ASD group), 115 subjects who presented ID but not ASD (ID group) and 112 healthy controls (HC group). We assessed in the three study groups the presence of the clinical conditions through a questionnaire and the mtDNA content of two mitochondrial genes, MT-ND1 and MT-ND4, by qPCR. The mtDNA sequences of 98 ASD and 95 ID subjects were obtained by mtDNA-targeted next generation sequencing and analysed through the MToolBox pipeline to identify mtDNA mutations. Subjects with ASD and ID showed higher frequencies of constipation, edema, seizures, vision alterations, strabismus and sphincter incontinence than HCs subjects. ASD and ID subjects showed significantly lower mtDNA content than HCs in both MT-ND1 and MT-ND4 genes. In addition, we identified 49 putative pathogenic variants with a heteroplasmy level higher than 60%: 8 missense, 29 rRNA and 12 tRNA variants. A total of 28.6% of ASD and 30.5% of ID subjects carried at least one putative pathogenic mtDNA mutation. The high frequency of CAMDs, the low mtDNA content and the presence of putative pathogenic mtDNA mutations observed in both ASD and ID subjects are evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction in ASD and ID.

Prenatal Maternal Serum Concentrations of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Association with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability.

Background:Emerging work has examined neurodevelopmental outcomes following prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), but few studies have assessed associations with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).Objectives:Our objective was to estimate associations of maternal prenatal PFAS concentrations with ASD and intellectual disability (ID) in children.Methods:Participants were from a population-based nested case–control study of children born from 2000 to 2003 in southern California, including children diagnosed with ASD (), ID without autism (), and general population (GP) controls (). Concentrations of eight PFAS from stored maternal sera collected at 15–19 wk gestational age were quantified and compared among study groups. We used logistic regression to obtain adjusted odds ratios for the association between prenatal PFAS concentrations (parameterized continuously and as quartiles) and ASD versus GP controls, and separately for ID versus GP controls.Results:Geometric mean concentrations of most PFAS were lower in ASD and ID groups relative to GP controls. ASD was not significantly associated with prenatal concentrations of most PFAS, though significant inverse associations were found for perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) [adjusted ORs for the highest vs. lowest quartiles 0.62 (95% CI: 0.41, 0.93) and 0.64 (95% CI: 0.43, 0.97), respectively]. Results for ID were similar.Conclusions:Results from this large case–control study with prospectively collected prenatal measurements do not support the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to PFAS is positively associated with ASD or ID. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1830

Biochemical and hematological evaluation in subjects with intellectual disability associated or not to Down syndrome

ABSTRACT Down syndrome (DS) is one of the most leading causes of intellectual disability. The aim of this study was to compare biochemical and hematological parameters, triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratios in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) associated or not with DS. The main result is the lower HDL-C level in individuals with DS than in the ID group, suggesting a modification in the lipid profile whose origin would lie in genetic alterations. However, further researches are important to analyze if there is any link between trisomy 21 and the reduction of plasma HDL-C levels in individuals with DS.

Contraception in adolescents with intellectual disability

Objectives: The aims of the study were to investigate the reasons for first gynaecological consultation in adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) and assess how contraception is prescribed with regard to the different contraceptive methods, their medical indications, adverse effects and compliance, in comparison with a group of adolescents without ID.Methods: A retrospective case–control study was conducted among 200 adolescents with ID (group A) and a control group of 200 adolescents without ID (group B).Results: The main reasons for gynaecological consultation in group A were ‘need for contraception’ (46.5% in group A vs 32.0% in group B, p = .003) and abnormal uterine bleeding (42.0% in group A vs 27.0% in group B, p = .002). Contraception was prescribed in 80.0% of the adolescents in both groups. Combined oral contraception was prescribed in 83.1% in group A vs. 91.3% in group B (p = .03). The transdermal patch was more prevalent in group A (6.3% vs. 0.6% in group B, p = .006). Other contraceptive methods were similar between the two groups. In group B there were 5.0% unintended pregnancies vs no cases in group A (p = .001). Sexual abuse occurred similarly in both groups (2.5% in group A vs 2.0% in group B, p = not significant).Conclusion: The need for contraception in adolescents with ID is a frequent reason for gynaecological consultation, despite their younger age and lower number who are sexually active. Combined oral contraception is the most prescribed method in adolescents with ID; however, the transdermal patch also plays an important role in this group.

Social anxiety and parental overprotection in young adults with and without intellectual disabilities.

Developmental literature highlights peer relationships and parental overprotection as factors implicated in the development of social anxiety. These factors are highly prevalent in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities; however research has not examined whether these factors are associated with social anxiety for this population. Twenty-one individuals without intellectual disabilities and 21 individuals with intellectual disabilities (aged 16-24years) completed the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents with follow-up questions, the Glasgow Anxiety Scale-Intellectual disabilities and the parental overprotection subscale of the Parental Bonding Instrument with follow-up questions. Aspects of general and social anxiety were significantly greater in the intellectual disabilities group. There were no significant differences in parental overprotection between groups, however, qualitative analyses revealed differences in experiences of social anxiety and parental overprotection. Further research into factors associated with social anxiety in people with intellectual disabilities may inform adaptations to therapies and early intervention.