Assessment of executive functions in adults with intellectual disabilities: implications for lifelong learning

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Published: Dec 12, 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17060/ijodaep.2021.n2.v2.2238
Keywords:
executive functions disability intervention non formal education

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Marta Bestué Laguna
Facultad Ciencias Humanas y de la Educación. Universidad de Zaragoza
Elena Escolano-Pérez
Facultad de Educación. Universidad de Zaragoza
María Antonia Acero Ferrero
Facultad de Educación. Universidad de Zaragoza

Abstract

Executive functions are high-level cognitive processes that allow us to adapt to complex and novel situations. There are numerous disorders and disabilities in which they are affected, limiting the quality of life of these people. The objective of this study was to evaluate the executive functions of adults with different disabilities and disorders, and based on this evaluation, to design an intervention program aimed at their improvement in the field of non-formal education. Eleven adults between the ages of 22 and 54 (mean = 34.5) participated and presented the following disabilities / disorders: intellectual disability with a degree of dependency ranging from 34% to 65%. They were all members of the same association. In each of the participants, the executive components of verbal and non-verbal working memory, resistance to interference, behavioral inhibition and cognitive flexibility were individually evaluated through the tasks of inverse digits, Corsi’s cubes, Faces, Statue and classification of letters, respectively. The results show that inhibition is the executive component most affected in the sample, followed by non- verbal working memory, verbal working memory, and flexibility. These results offer an initial evaluation of the executive functioning of the participants, being useful for the design of an intervention program in the field of non-formal education that responds to their needs. The ultimate purpose of all this is to contribute to the development of the autonomy of the participants to improve their quality of life.

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How to Cite
Bestué Laguna, M., Escolano-Pérez, E., & Acero Ferrero, M. A. (2021). Assessment of executive functions in adults with intellectual disabilities: implications for lifelong learning. International Journal of Developmental and Educational Psychology. Revista INFAD De Psicología., 2(2), 317–324. https://doi.org/10.17060/ijodaep.2021.n2.v2.2238
Issue
Vol. 2 No. 2 (2021): LEARNING IN A POSITIVE MOOD: THE RESPONSE TO COVID-19
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Articles
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