Creativity as a tool to assess and enhance flexible thinking in people with intellectual disabilities (ID) : A case series

Intellectual disability (ID) is a generalized neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant limitations in intellectual and adaptive functioning. From a cognitive point of view, individual with ID systematically show rigidity in thinking, with difficulties in planning, problem-solving abilities, in adapting to new situations and in thinking of different possible solutions. In few words, the use of routines and well-known patterns is prevalent over a more divergent, original, and creative thought. The assessment and training of creative abilities has been previously proposed to favor more proficient and rewarding experience in typically-developed individuals when interacting with others and facing everyday-life problems. However, at the best of our knowledge, no previous studies specifically targeted this issue to the population of ID individuals. In the present pilot study, 5 adults with ID (3 men, 2 women) from an Italian day-care center participated in an action-research aimed at exploring the possibility to apply a cognitive-based training to enhance flexible thinking and everyday-life activities. The training “SoCraTE” (Socio-emotional, Creativity and Thinking Enhancement) has been developed to exercise 3 different domains: the socio-emotional, the creative, and the cognitive (thinking) ones to support people in their whole functioning. The program has been personalized for each user after an initial assessment and involved different interactive tools, such as computerized and paper-and pencil tasks, story-telling, role-playing, audio/video analysis, and creative games. The preliminary data about the feasibility and the effects of such program will be presented, along with a more general discussion about the use of creativity in support of ID.