UNASSIGNED: Post-pandemic, use of digital technologies (e.g., mobile app, Zoom, virtual reality, and videogaming) to promote physical activity (PA) in populations with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) has increased. The efficacy of various digital technologies in promoting PA in individuals with IDD varies. We conducted a systematic review to examine current literature findings on the efficacy of digital PA interventions on PA outcomes in individuals with IDD.
UNASSIGNED: Articles published between 1900 and 2024 that examined effects of technology-based PA interventions on PA levels/fitness of individuals with IDD using experimental or quasi-experimental study designs were included. Sixteen articles were retrieved from four health databases PubMed (914), PsycInfo (1201), SCOPUS (1910), and CINAHL (948).
UNASSIGNED: Findings based on 604 participants (Autism: 383; Down Syndrome: 106; Developmental Disability: 83, Developmental Coordination Disorder: 37) provide the most support for exergaming/digital PA intervention benefits for populations with ID, Down Syndrome, and Autism; however, there was limited support for its use in those without ID (e.g., DCD).
UNASSIGNED: Digital technology is an effective tool to promote improvements in PA/fitness, motor, cardiovascular performance in individuals with ID. Future studies need to build on this evidence to support the use of PA outcomes in individuals with different IDD diagnoses.
Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are more physically inactive compared to peers without IDD.Exercise and physical activity are effective modalities to improve health and well-being of individuals with IDD.Exergaming/digital technologies are a promising option to promote physical activity in individuals with IDD, specifically, in children with Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder.This is the first review comparing effects of exergaming/digital technologies on physical activity outcomes of individuals with and without intellectual disabilities.

UNASSIGNED: There is increased focus on the negative impact of the overprescribing of medication, specifically psychotropic medication, including anti-seizure medications (ASM), in people with Intellectual Disability (ID). This is particularly important for the older adult population, where multi-morbidity and polypharmacy are more common. ASMs are associated with psychiatric and behavioral adverse effects. Furthermore, there is growing awareness of the anticholinergic burden for older adults with epilepsy and ID and the relationship with behaviors that challenge (BtC).
UNASSIGNED: This review defines the older adult population and outlines the relationship between epilepsy and ID. BtC is outlined in the context of the population and the relationship with ASMs. The evidence base to guide prescribing and de-prescribing for newer ASMs is also presented, including pragmatic data.
UNASSIGNED: Polypharmacy, particularly psychotropics, are a mortality risk factor for older adults with epilepsy and ID. Therefore, any BtC requires a holistic assessment with a multi-disciplinary approach. This includes specific consideration of all prescribed medicines in the context of polypharmacy. There should be routine reviews, at least annually, for those aged 40 years and over particularly focused on anticholinergic burden and/or polypharmacy.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this scoping review was to systematically synthesize barriers and facilitators for physical activity (PA) among children and youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) across the socioecological model.
METHODS: Five electronic databases were searched in March 2022 for studies examining barriers and facilitators for PA among children and youth with ASD. An updated search was performed in April 2024. The framework synthesis method was utilized, and the socioecological model was the chosen framework.
RESULTS: Fifty-four studies published from 2008 to 2024 were included. Among the included studies, 57% included the perspectives of children and youth with ASD alone or together with proxies (eg, parents, teachers, and coaches), while 43% included only the perspectives of proxies. Barriers and facilitators on the intrapersonal and interpersonal levels were most substantial. The analysis led to 2 main categories of barriers and facilitators, those unique to children and youth with ASD, and those similar to what had been identified through research on children and youth, both typically developing and with other disabilities.
CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive scoping review shows the complexity of factors contributing to barriers and facilitators for PA among children and youth with ASD, and highlights both the factors unique to this population and more general factors affecting PA participation. The findings from this synthesis might be used to guide the development of inclusive PA in physical education, organized sports, and other community PA arenas.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with intellectual disabilities experience barriers to quality healthcare. To reduce this disparity, equipping medical trainees with the knowledge and skills required for treating this patient population is critical. Our aim is to describe the breadth of instructional interventions and identify gaps in intellectual disability medical education curricula.
METHODS: Using scoping review methods, the intellectual disability programmes described in 27 articles were evaluated and their coverage of the six core competencies on disability for health care education was examined.
RESULTS: The most frequently represented core competencies were disability conceptual frameworks, professionalism and communication, and clinical assessment, which were, in most programmes, fulfilled by activities involving individuals with intellectual disabilities. Uneven competency coverage warrants consideration.
CONCLUSIONS: Considerable variabilities exist in medical school curricula on intellectual disabilities. Using core competencies on disability for health care education for curricular design and evaluation would provide a coherent training experience in this important area.

UNASSIGNED: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a common developmental disability that requires lifelong and ongoing support but is often difficult to find due to the lack of trained professionals, funding, and support available. Technology could provide cost-effective, accessible, and effective support to those living with FASD and their caregivers.
UNASSIGNED: In this review, we aimed to explore the use of technology available for supporting people living with FASD and their caregivers.
UNASSIGNED: We conducted a scoping review to identify studies that included technology for people with FASD or their caregivers; focused on FASD; used an empirical study design; were published since 2005; and used technology for assessment, diagnosis, monitoring, or support for people with FASD. We searched MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, APA PsycINFO, ACM Digital Library, JMIR Publications journals, the Cochrane Library, EBSCOhost, IEEE, study references, and gray literature to find studies. Searches were conducted in November 2022 and updated in January 2024. Two reviewers (CZC and HW) independently completed study selection and data extraction.
UNASSIGNED: In total, 17 studies exploring technology available for people with FASD showed that technology could be effective at teaching skills, supporting caregivers, and helping people with FASD develop skills.
UNASSIGNED: Technology could provide support for people affected by FASD; however, currently there is limited technology available, and the potential benefits are largely unexplored.

UNASSIGNED: Caring for a child with long-term functional limitations can have a negative impact on the physical and psychological well-being of the caregiver. Family-centered care (FCC) interventions have the potential to empower caregivers and contribute to their well-being. This systematic review aimed to synthesize existing evidence on the effectiveness of FCC interventions in improving the well-being of caregivers of children with cerebral palsy (CP), and identify the key components of such interventions that are most commonly practiced and deemed effective.
UNASSIGNED: This review systematically searched seven databases for randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effectiveness of any FCC intervention on the well-being of caregivers of children with or at risk of CP. We used the Cochrane RoB 2.0 tool to assess risk of bias and Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist for critical appraisal. Due to high heterogeneity of studies, narrative synthesis was used to summarize the data.
UNASSIGNED: The review consists of 11 studies which were categorized into five sections based on the components of FCC intervention provided in each individual study: 1. Information provision, and Enabling and partnership (n= 5); 2. Information provision, and Respectful and supportive care (n= 1); 3. Enabling and partnership (n= 2); 4. Enabling and partnership, and Respectful and supportive care (n= 2); 5. Information provision, Enabling and partnership and Respectful and supportive care (n= 1). Risk of bias was low in four studies, unclear in two studies, and high in five studies.
UNASSIGNED: FCC interventions were found to be effective in improving caregivers\' satisfaction with attainment of child and caregiver goals. Evidence from multiple studies does not strongly support the effectiveness of FCC interventions on caregiver\'s mental health, parenting and personal outcomes. Limited evidence precludes a conclusion on the effectiveness of the components of FCC on well-being of caregivers of children with CP.

UNASSIGNED: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common childhood physical disability, imposing substantial costs on individuals and society. Early interventions that promote brain optimization and reorganization are vital for children with CP. Integrating early evidence-based practice (EBP) remains challenging but enhances functional outcomes.
UNASSIGNED: Following a scoping review methodology, databases were searched to identify studies examining the impact of knowledge translation (KT) strategies for pediatric CP interventions. Extraction included study characteristics, methodology, KT strategies, barriers, and facilitators. Numerical and inductive content analysis identified themes among KT strategies. A final stakeholder consultation to discuss the results was conducted.
UNASSIGNED: This review included seventeen articles. Common outcomes included participant change in EBP knowledge and behaviour. Common barriers included a need for more resources, protected time, and funding. Most studies followed a multifaceted KT approach. Various KT strategies were used, primarily mentoring, workshops, case studies, and online tools.
UNASSIGNED: Results underscored the need for tailored KT strategies for implementing EBP for children with CP. Additionally, user-friendly KT tools and involving mentors to facilitate the intervention can haste EBP uptake. Successful adoption depends on challenges in healthcare settings. This study provides insights into current KT strategies for advancing best practices for children with CP.
Employing multifaceted knowledge translation strategies in a pediatric rehabilitation setting can support the adoption of evidence-based practices for children with cerebral palsy.It is important to identify and address common barriers hindering the use of evidence-based practices in cerebral palsy rehabilitation in a specific context to tailor a knowledge translation strategy.Having qualified rehabilitation professionals act as evidence-based practice leaders in a healthcare setting is crucial for promoting evidence-based practices among other professionals.

While youths with intellectual disability (ID) have increased vulnerability for depressive disorders, cognitive problems and combined functional barriers make them less prone to receive adequate treatments. A systematic review of the literature was conducted (PROSPERO Registration number: CRD42022347703) based on several databases from 1980 to 2022 to examine the quality of tools for measuring depression in children and adolescents with ID. The COSMIN (COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement Instruments) checklist was used to assess several psychometric domains. Twelve studies evaluated the properties of six tools for measuring depression in youths with ID. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Intellectual Disability (CESD-ID) was the only scale with at least five domains of psychometric properties assessed to have strong or moderate evidence. Based on the reviewed findings, tools specifically developed for populations with developmental disabilities should be considered first in order to screen depression in youths with ID. Much work is required to confirm their validity in clinical samples with patients with a complex form of developmental disabilities. As a complement to self- and caregivers-report questionnaires, clinician rating scales were considered useful to catch the full picture of depression in youths with ID, in particular associated behavioral expressions. Their validity received little scrutiny and certainly deserve more attention to improve care practice of youths with ID.

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is a popular augmentative and alternative communication intervention for individuals with developmental disabilities that includes six, sequential phases of instruction. We systematically reviewed published and unpublished single-case PECS studies for details about the percentage of participants mastering PECS phases, how long it took participants to master PECS phases (in trials to mastery), and what constituted mastery of PECS phases. We found most participants mastered only the first two phases of PECS, and Phases I, II, and IV showed the slowest and widest variability in trials to mastery. Moreover, participants who were taught the third PECS phase learned to select from an average array of three symbols, which may limit the range of messages they can communicate. We discuss our findings in light of a few important limitations and provide directions for future researchers along with recommendations for professionals who might consider PECS.

People with Intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) experience oral health inequality due to myriad of risk factors and complex needs. Sensory processing difficulties, maladaptive behaviours and dental anxiety contribute to difficulties in receiving preventive and routine dental treatments. This study aimed to systematically review the evidence on the effectiveness of sensory adaptive dental environments (SADE) for children and young adults (up to the ages 24 years) with IDD to address cooperation and dental anxiety.
This review was reported according to The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. MEDLINE (Ovid), The Cochrane Library, Embase, Google Scholar, Web of Science and OT Seeker were searched using appropriate terms to identify Randomised Control Trails (RCTs) that matched inclusion criteria. Screening was conducted by two reviewers after de-duplication based on titles and abstracts followed by full text retrieval. Quality of the included studies was assessed using Cochrane Risk of Bias (ROB)-2 for crossover trials and data extracted by two reviewers. The details of the interventions and effectiveness were compared and discussed narratively, and comparable outcomes were included to meta-analyses using R software.
A total of 622 articles were identified and five articles met eligibility for inclusion. Three studies used multi-sensory adaptations and one used single sensory adaptation of music. Narrative synthesis showed some evidence of SADE reducing magnitude and duration, although, questionable for reducing the number of maladaptive behaviours. Two studies demonstrated conflicting evidence of the effect of SADE on cooperation. Three studies demonstrated significant positive impact of SADE on psychophysiological outcomes. Despite an overall tendency to favour SADE, no statistically significant difference of maladaptive behaviours was found between SADE and regular dental environment (RDE) (Standardised mean change (SMC) = 0.51; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) -0.20 to 1.22; p = 0.161). SADE was superior to RDE (SMC -0.66; 95% CI -1.01 to -0.30; p =  < 0.001) in reducing psychophysiological responses of dental anxiety.
Current evidence suggests that adapting visual, tactile, and auditory aspects of the dental environment in a single or multi-sensory approach demonstrates small positive effects on psychophysiological responses and maladaptive behaviours of dental anxiety for people with IDD.
The title of this review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022322083).