Laboratory Evaluations with Adolescents with Down syndrome Science, Affectivity and Playfulness

Abstract

People with Down syndrome(DS) present neurophysiological problems that could be alleviated with the systematic practice of Physical Education(PE). However, there are questions regarding laboratory assessments for the prescription of exercises, as there are no adequate equipment or protocols for this group, the difficulty of the individual with DS concerning the proposed tests, and difficulty in controlling emotions when in a laboratory environment because they present intellectual disability. The objective of this study was to report approach procedures for the data collection in a laboratory environment developed in research on muscle strength, body composition, and hemodynamics in adolescents with Down syndrome, from the use of Henri Wallon's theory of emotions and his considerations about emotional manifestations. Considering this theory and what we can call a greater humanization of the process of evaluating people with DS in the laboratory, the participants, who were unable to perform the proposed tests, were encouraged to participate in the study at another time.