The main aim of this study was to describe the relationship between right-handed, left-handed and mixed-handed adults with intellectual disability and their success in vocational training courses.
Method:
A total of 71 research participants in Iran with moderate and severe intellectual disability were chosen and their hand preferences were determined by means of a hand preference test.
Results:
The results showed that the research participants who were right-handers or left-handers were significantly more successful than those participants who were mixed-handers. There was a significant relationship between left or right handedness and success in job training (chi2 = 11.490, df = 2, p = 0.003). Left-handers were statistically more successful in job training programmes than their mixed-hander counterparts (chi2 = 9.252, df = 1, p = 0.002).A similar difference was found between right-hander and mixed-hander groups (chi2 = 9.047, df = 1, p = 0.003). The difference between left and right handers in job training was not statistically significant (chi2 = 0.227, df = 1, p = 0.634).
Conclusion:
Hand preference could be an important consideration in the vocational rehabilitation assessment and evaluation of people with intellectual disabilities. Training programmes may need to be tailored to suit an individual according to handedness, particularly with those who are mixed-handers.
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