Body experience in children with intellectual disabilities with and without externalising disorders

Psychomotor therapy for children with mild intellectual disabilities (ID) often is aimed at improving body experiences. If children are able to recognise their bodily signals, they will be able to regulate emotions better and act more adequately. Because little is known about body experience in children with intellectual disabilities and externalising behaviour, the aim of this study was to shed more light on this topic. Thirty-one children with intellectual disabilities, aged eight to 12 years (M=9.9, SD=1.3) participated in this study. The PsyMot diagnostic procedure and the Body Experience Questionnaire for Children were used to measure body experience. In 41% of the cases problems in body experience were found. Children with ID and externalising disorders showed significant more problems in body experience than children with ID-only. Movement interventions aimed at improving body experience seem particularly relevant for these children, as they support the development of emotion regulation abilities. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.