Spatial correlates of wayfinding abilities in people with intellectual disabilities

BACKGROUND: Previous research has found that people with intellectual disabilities performed wayfinding tasks at or below their intellectual level. This research aims to examine what small-scale spatial abilities predict wayfinding in people with intellectual disabilities. METHOD: Sixty-one participants with intellectual disabilities aged 12-25 years completed a wayfinding task and eight small-scale spatial ability tasks, the latter of which were based on the double-dimension theoretical framework. RESULTS: Extrinsic-dynamic spatial abilities predict wayfinding route knowledge. Intrinsic-Dynamic spatial abilities predict wayfinding landmark knowledge. Having Down syndrome (vs. not having it) also predicts a unique variance in landmark knowledge. Sensitivity analyses based on intelligence quotient (IQ) attenuate some, but not all, results. CONCLUSION: Theoretically, small- and large-scale spatial abilities are associated in people with intellectual disabilities, as they are in typically developing people. In practice, future intervention programs might consider training small-scale spatial abilities to enhance wayfinding for people with intellectual disabilities.