A review of research on physical exercise with people with severe and profound developmental disabilities

During the last two decades, a significant amount of research has examined physical exercise with people with severe and profound developmental disabilities. The research has followed three main objectives: 1) finding strategies for allowing the people to engage in physical exercise fairly independent; 2) improving the people’s physical fitness; and 3) reducing the people’s deviant behavior. This paper reviews the studies related to the aforementioned objectives and comments on the main findings and on the practicality and acceptability of physical exercise.