The Key Role of Gestures in Spatial Tasks for Students With Intellectual Disability

The gestures produced by children with intellectual disability (ID) in spatial tasks are rarely considered, although they have a supporting role in the formation of thought. In this research study, we analyzed the number of gestures, the type of gestures, and their role in the expression of knowledge of students with ID. Twenty students (12-17 years old) with ID and 40 students with typical development (TD) matched on visual-spatial level (n = 20) and on language level (n = 20) participated in the research. Students with ID made significantly more gestures in relation to the number of words spoken compared to their peers with TD. Thirty percent of the expressive communication of students with ID came from gestures alone, and 60% of the responses contained at least one gesture. Finally, the higher the level of task difficulty, the more gestures the students made.