A few weeks ago, I was visiting my daughter at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. It was homecoming weekend, and we were attending a football game against archrival Illinois Wesleyan. Several minutes into the first quarter, a group of young adults with intellectual disability, accommodated by one staff person, walked by my wife and me on their way to finding their seats. The aide prompted the group to descend a flight of stairs in transit to their seats, but the five adults paused at the top of the stairs because there was no railing to hold onto as they began their descent.

The tension on that staff person's face that day along with the apprehension displayed by the five young adults was a reminder of how important it is to maintain good motor skills throughout the lifespan. Often what you find among many adults with intellectual disability is that their ability to accurately shift their center of gravity with good balance, strength, and coordination is severely lacking.

Read the entire column at http://www.nchpad.org/200/1379/2002-12~Issue~~Lifelong~Fitness~and~Motor~Skills~Training~for~People~with~Intellectual~Disability