A synthesis of the characteristics of dance interventions engaging adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities: a scoping review

Abstract

Purpose

Dance can encourage physical activity and promote physical, cognitive, and social development for adults who have neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD). Dance is defined as a form of expression that may be structured, exploratory, and/or cultural. Current literature supports the benefits of participation in dance for persons with NDD, however less is known about what characteristics support participation in dance.

Materials and Methods

A scoping review was conducted to synthesize the characteristics of dance interventions, teaching strategies, and outcome measures used to assess the efficacy of dance interventions. Searches were conducted across six databases and the results were screened according to: i) adults ≥18yrs of age with a diagnosed NDD, and ii) the program incorporated activities that fall within our definition of dance.

Results

A range of dance forms and NDDs were represented across the fourteen studies reviewed. Few provided explicit details of the dance interventions, nor how instruction was adapted. All studies that measured fitness, mobility, balance, posture, and functional activity showed significant improvement. Studies that measured psychosocial and well-being focused on autistic characteristics and showed mixed results.

Conclusions

Details of interventions, instructions, measures of movement performance, and the relationship between outcomes and the interventions require further development and research.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• Dance is a multimodal activity that can improve aerobic capacity, postural control, passive ROM, and strength in adults with neurodevelopmental disability at all levels of function.

• Participation in dance may be recommended as an option for recreational physical activity as current evidence supports dance as an effective physical activity, and/or supplement to therapeutic goals, with physiological as well as psychosocial benefits.

• When considering dance as a recreational activity it is important to consider the program and instructors approach, as well as the experience and training of the instructor, in order to best match the goals of the dancer with the goals of the specific program.

Keywords:

• Adapted dance
• adaptive dance
• adapted physical activity
• cerebral palsy
• down syndrome
• autism
• intellectual disability

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Research Manitoba and the Susan Wright Bell Award for the study of Developmental Disabilitiesfor their financial support of this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.