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Strength training for a child with suspected developmental coordination disorder.
Stacy M Menz1, Kristin Hatten, Marybeth Grant-Beuttler
1Starfish Therapies, San Mateo, California 94402, USA. stacy@starfishtherapies.com
Summary
Strength training improved gross motor function and coordination in a child with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The intervention enhanced motor skills, potentially through better feedforward control, despite no significant strength gains.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physical therapy
- Motor control research
- Developmental disorders
Background:
- Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) exhibit impaired feedforward motor control.
- They often employ compensatory strategies to manage motor tasks.
Observation:
- A 6-year, 11-month-old girl with apraxia, hypotonia, and motor delays consistent with DCD participated.
- She underwent 24 strength training sessions utilizing a universal exercise unit.
Findings:
- Post-intervention, significant improvements were noted in the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2) and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM).
- Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCD-DQ) scores improved, moving above the threshold for suspected DCD.
- No significant changes in muscle strength were observed.
Implications:
- Strength training, particularly with blocked practice of isolated movements, can enhance gross motor function and manual coordination in children with DCD.
- Improvements may stem from enhanced feedforward control and stabilization, rather than increased strength.
- This approach may not directly improve skills reliant on momentum, such as locomotion.
