Thursday May 27th

Neuropsychology of Intellectual Disability

Olga Bruna

Facultat de Psicologia Blanquerna. Universitat Ramon Llull. Barcelona

Roser Fernández-Olaria

Aura Fundació. Barcelona

Workshop description:

Knowing the neuropsychological characteristics of people with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities is essential to intervene in a more specific and appropriate way. Likewise, providing stimulating environments allows for greater opportunities to achieve the maximum degree of autonomy and thus ensures a better cognitive reserve. The neuropsychological profile of each person and their monitoring over the years, allows us to adopt measures of prevention and detection of changes that occur in the aging process, as well as to promote strategies that encourage active and healthy aging. Similarly, knowing the appropriate neuropsychological assessment tools to develop the neuropsychological profile of each person is essential, since the vast majority of tests, in many cases, do not achieve more than the floor effect.

To lead an active life and to participate in programs of neuropsychological intervention and cognitive and functional stimulation throughout life is fundamental, for the benefits that can contribute in the prevention of the cognitive deterioration associated to age and the development of the neurodegenerative disorders.

Likewise, it is essential to promote the creation of new proposals and specific services for a healthy aging and to maintain cognitive capacities and their autonomy, which for health reasons or due to premature aging, end their working stage and need adequate programs that respond to a new reality.

In this workshop the most common neuropsychological characteristics will be reviewed, as well as the standardized evaluation tools adapted to this population that currently exist and other non-standardized ones that serve as screening and follow-up tests to detect changes that may point to a possible cognitive deterioration or even the beginning of Alzheimer’s disease. The importance of cognitive intervention throughout life will be highlighted and the need to generate answers that must be promoted in order to adequately care for people with disabilities who have reached their retirement prematurely, but who must remain active and stimulated, in order to favor their aging process, will be discussed.

Learning objectives:

– To know the neuropsychological characteristics of people with Down Syndrome and other intellectual disabilities.

– To know different standardized evaluation tools and other ad-hoc tools to obtain a baseline of neuropsychological characteristics: cognitive, emotional and behavioral of people with DS.

– To learn about cognitive stimulation programs and strategies to promote active and healthy aging.

– To reflect on the need to provide specific programs and services that respond to the needs of these people who reach the end of their working lives for health reasons or because of early aging.