Fine Motor and Functional Performance Outcomes in Preschool Children (original) (raw)
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Occupational Therapy in Preschools: A Synthesis of Current Knowledge
Early Childhood Education Journal, 2017
This paper presents a synthesis of current knowledge about occupational therapy in preschools (for 3-6 year olds) in order to provide a better understanding of this field of practice and to guide the implementation or programming of this service. In the literature, occupational therapy in preschools has been documented mainly in the USA. Results revealed that this service helped all children, with and without difficulties, to improve their skills, especially fine motor and graphomotor skills, and their participation in educational and daily living activities. Occupational therapy also had positive effects on teachers, parents and services. A service delivery model based on Response-to-Intervention or collaborative model should guide the implementation or programming of occupational therapy in preschools, with the focus on prevention/health promotion, screening and early intervention as well as school inclusion and success. Future studies are needed to determine the best intervention approaches and methods to improve children's motor skills and self-regulation in inclusive preschool settings.
Occupational Therapy Effects on Visual-Motor Skills in Preschool Children
American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2003
OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the assumption that preschool children who receive occupational therapy will demonstrate significant improvement in their visual-motor skills as measured on the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI) and the two supplemental Visual Perception and Motor Coordination tests. METHOD. Preschool children with developmental delays (n = 12) received occupational therapy a minimum of one individual 30-minute session, and one group 30-minute session per week for 1 school year. Their performance was compared to that of two control groups; preschool students without disabilities who received occupational therapy (n = 16) for one 30-minute group session per week and students without disabilities (n = 15) who received no occupational therapy. The VMI and two supplemental tests were administered three times to each student, at the beginning, middle, and end of school year. RESULTS. Planned comparison tests showed that students with...
Motor skill intervention for pre-school children: A scoping review
African Journal of Disability, 2020
This scoping review investigates the key elements of existing motor skill interventions for preschool children. Method: We gathered information through structured database searches from Cinahl, Eric, PubMed, Cochrane, ProQuest, Psych Net, PEDro and Scopus, using a keyword string. The PRISMA-SCR design was used to identify 45 eligible studies. All included studies investigated a motor skill intervention with well-defined outcome measures for children aged 4-7 years with motor skill difficulties. Studies that exclusively focused on children with neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, physical disabilities or medical/physical deteriorating conditions were excluded. Information was charted on MS Excel spreadsheets. Fundamental concepts were categorised into common key themes and were converted into a proposed framework. Results: Fifteen intervention approaches were identified. Treatment is mostly managed by occupational therapists and physiotherapists. Evidence supports individual and group treatment with a child-centred, playful approach in a school or therapeutic setting. Whilst session information varied, there is moderate evidence to suggest that a 15-week programme, with two weekly sessions, may be feasible. Conclusion: Children with motor skill difficulties need therapeutic intervention. This study identified the key elements of existing therapy intervention methods and converted it into a proposed framework for intervention planning. It is a first step towards addressing motor skill difficulties amongst preschool children in low socioeconomic areas.
Analysis of Motor Intervention Program on the Development of Gross Motor Skills in Preschoolers
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
This study aimed to investigate the influence of a structured movement activity program on the motor development of children aged three to five years attending preschool. Participants were 136 preschool students with normative development at three to four years old who lived in the Region of Murcia (Spain). The McCarthy Children’s Psychomotricity and Aptitude Scales (MSCA) battery of psychomotor tests was used to evaluate the motor development profiles of preschoolers before and after the intervention. The sample was divided into two groups: an intervention group (28 students) and a comparison group (108 students). A structured 24 week physical education program was used in the intervention group. An experiential program based on free play was used in the comparison group during the same period. Preschoolers in both groups got a significant improvement in the contrast of pre-intervention with post-intervention in limb coordination. Statistically significant differences in the post-i...
Assessment of Motor Functioning in the Preschool Period
Neuropsychology Review, 2012
The assessment of motor functioning in young children has become increasingly important in recent years with the acknowledgement that motor impairment is linked with cognitive, language, social and emotional difficulties. However, there is no one gold standard assessment tool to investigate motor ability in children. The aim of the current paper was to discuss the issues related to the assessment of motor ability in young pre-school children and to provide guidelines on the best approach for motor assessment. The paper discusses the maturational changes in brain development at the preschool level in relation to motor ability. Other issues include sex differences in motor ability at this young age, and evidence for this in relation to sociological versus biological influences. From the previous literature it is unclear what needs to be assessed in relation to motor functioning. Should the focus be underlying motor processes or movement skill assessment? Several key assessment tools are discussed that produce a general measure of motor performance followed by a description of tools that assess specific skills, such as fine and gross motor, ball and graphomotor skills. The paper concludes with recommendations on the best approach in assessing motor function in pre-school children.
Acta Universitatis Palackianae Olomucensis. …, 2009
The aim of this study was to reassess the motor skill performance of preschool children with mental and developmental disorders. The study follows the fi rst part of the study which was completed in 2006 (Samoulidu, 2006). In 2006, signifi cant defi cits in motor skills performance were found to exist in these children. There were 5 participants in this study-4 boys and 1 girl. One participant from the last year's assessment did not participate as he left the special kindergarten during the year. As of February 2007, the participants had completed a one year comprehensive program at the special kindergarten. This program was guided by recommendations made by MABC (Movement Assessment Battery for Children results, Henderson & Sudgen, 1992). Scores presented therein showed that considerable development had taken place in the various areas of motor skill development as assessed by the MABC. This can be attributed in part to the school program. As well as motor skill improvements, the social and behavior patterns of the children also improved which was noted primarily during the qualitative observations. Positive development has taken place as a result of this early intervention. Further guidelines were given in order that this development may continue into the future.
The purpose of the present study was to assess the motor skills performance of preschoolers with mental and de-velopmental disorders and to propose individualized intervention programs. Participants included 6 children, 5 boys and 1 girl, 48 to 79 months old, who were attending the same special kindergarten. Both quantitative and qualitative aspects of their performance were examined. With regards to quantitative examination, participants were measured using the following test – the movement assessment battery for children (Henderson & Sugden, 1992). Meanwhile qualitative results were obtained through personal observation. Finally a motor skill intervention program was planned for each child according to his/her results.
European Psychomotricity Journal, 2017
The purpose of this study was to identify the motor development level in preschool children through the administration of the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 battery. The field research was conducted to schools and one hundred and fifty-six 3 to 6- year-old children participated in the study. The children’s performances were assessed by gender, age group and type of motor skill. The statistical analyses computed showed that the state of the total motor quotient of the children was judged to be satisfactory, with slight differentiations per age group, with the older age-groups performing better than the younger in the fine motor quotient. Furthermore, the girls excelled in locomotion, stationary and visual-motor integration skills and the boys in object manipulation skill. The findings highlight the need for assessment batteries in the planning of suitable programmes for the improvement of children’s motor skills.
The purpose of the study was to develop a valid and reliable tool for use in assessing motor skills in preschool children in field based settings. The development of the CHAMPS (Children's Activity and Movement in Preschool Study) Motor Skills Protocol (CMSP) included evidence of its reliability and validity for use in field-based environments as part of large epidemiological studies. Following pilot work, 297 children (3-5 years old) from 22 preschools were tested using the final version of the CMSP and the TGMD-2. Reliability of the CMSP and interobserver reliability were determined using intraclass correlation procedures (ICC; ANOVA). Concurrent validity was assessed using Pearson correlation coefficients to compare the CMSP to the original Test of Gross Motor Development (2 nd Edition) (TGMD-2). Results indicated that test reliability, interobserver reliability and validity coefficients were all high, generally above R/r = 0.90. Significant age differences were found. Outcomes indicate that the CMSP is an appropriate tool for assessing motor development of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children in field-based settings that are consistent with large-scale trials.