The Effects of a Dance/Movement Therapy Emotional Self-Regulation Program for Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities in Hong Kong

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a dance/movement therapy (DMT) program with a focus on emotional self-regulation (ESR) for adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) during the transition from school to post-school in Hong Kong. In response to the growing awareness of mental wellness in youth with special educational needs, research based on dance/movement therapy and self-determination theory was conducted by the author who was also the researcher. This mixed-methods study utilized a randomized controlled trial and focus groups. Fifty-one students and five school staff members from five special schools participated. Students were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Data were collected using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and analyzed with a T-test at pre-, post-intervention, and at a 14-week follow-up. Verbal data from focus groups were analyzed using thematic content analysis with NVivo, and non-verbal, art-based data were triangulated with verbatim transcriptions. Quantitative results showed significant improvement in the intervention group for all variables at the 14-week follow-up. Qualitative findings revealed processes related to emotional self-regulation and highlighted practices, such as providing students with a positive, novel, and impactful emotional self-regulation experience. The DMT ESR program contributed to improved emotional self-regulation in adolescents with intellectual disabilities. The findings from this study contribute to the fields of emotional regulation, DMT, special education, and psychotherapy research.