Effects of motor skill interventions on fundamental movement skills in children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities: a systematic review

Abstract

Background Children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) are characterised by deficits in fundamental movement skills (FMS). In youth with typical development, motor skill interventions have been recognised as an efficient means to improve FMS. However, the effects of these interventions among youth with ID have not yet been systematically reviewed. Purpose The purpose of the present systematic review was to summarise the findings from studies pertaining to the effects of motor skill interventions designed to improve FMS in children and adolescents with ID. Method A systematic literature search (without year restriction) was performed in 12 databases. Studies in press or published in English in a peer‐reviewed journal were included if: (1) participants were youth with ID aged 5 to 22; (2) motor skill interventions aimed to improve one or several FMS; and (3) they were experimental, quasi‐experimental or pre‐experimental. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale was used to assess the quality of the studies. Results Through the search strategy, 1083 articles were identified, and 14 studies published between 1969 and 2018 met the inclusion criteria. In studies with children, motor skill interventions successfully improved balance skills and overall FMS, whereas mixed and inconclusive results were found for locomotor skills. In studies with adolescents, motor skill interventions were shown to successfully improve balance skills. However, none of the motor skill interventions reviewed focused on locomotor and object control skills. Conclusions The reviewed motor skill interventions were effective in improving balance skills in both children and adolescents with ID as well as overall FMS in children with ID. Conversely, the effects of motor skill interventions targeting locomotor and object control skills remain unclear. Therefore, given the relatively small number of studies and their limitations, the present findings need to be interpreted with caution, and further rigorous studies are necessary.

Fundamental Movement Skills and Physical Activity of 3–4-Year-Old Children within Early Childhood Centers in New Zealand

“…The implementation of a professional development programme, designed to support ECE teachers to promote young children’s healthy eating and PA, has also significantly improved FMS [ 64 ]. Such improvements in FMS have been reported in preschoolers who live with, and those who live without, developmental delays [ 41 , 42 , 65 ]; these improvements were not seen in a low socioeconomic ECE center with low levels of adherence to the intervention [ 66 ]. However, directly comparing the results of such interventions can be difficult because of differences in intervention type, methodology and assessment tools [ 62 ].…”

Effects of a Floor Hockey Intervention on Motor Proficiency, Physical Fitness, and Adaptive Development in Youths with Mild Intellectual Disabilities

“…Compared with youths with typical development between the ages of 7 and 12 years, youths with IDs tend to have significantly lower motor proficiency skill levels in terms of fundamental movement [ 6 ] and locomotor and object control [ 5 , 6 , 8 ]. A systematic review summarized the findings of 14 studies concerning youths with IDs aged 5 to 22 and revealed that PA interventions are efficient in improving fundamental movement skills (i.e., locomotion, object control, and balance skills) [ 32 ]. Most of the studies focused on the balance skills of youths with mild IDs and offered strong support for the effect of PA interventions on balance skills.…”

“…Evidence supports the beneficial effect of PA interventions on motor proficiency in younger youths with IDs (aged 6–11 years); however, it is currently unclear whether the effects of PA interventions are effective in improving motor proficiency in older youths with IDs (aged 12–17 years) [ 32 ]. To date, only three studies have examined the effects of PA interventions on changes in motor proficiency of older youths with IDs.…”

Fundamental Motor Skill Delays in Preschool Children With Disabilities: 2012 National Youth Fitness Survey

“…Concurrently, children with disabilities also engage in lower rates of physical activity (19)(20)(21), participate in fewer leisure and recreational activities (22)(23)(24), exhibit poor healthrelated physical fitness (25)(26)(27), and have higher proportions of children with overweight and obese weight status (28)(29)(30). Despite significant deficits and delays, multiple intervention studies have shown that children with disabilities can improve FMS competence if these skills are directly taught and practiced (31)(32)(33). Thus, identifying FMS delays in preschoolers with disabilities is particularly important so that early intervention to remediate these delays in FMS may begin.…”