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Motor problems in children with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties
Bronagh Taylor1, Donncha Hanna1, Martin McPhillips2
1Queen's University, Belfast, UK.
Insights
Children with emotional and behavioural difficulties often have motor skill deficits and persistent reflexes. These, along with family issues, significantly impact their psychosocial well-being, suggesting movement interventions may help.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Motor Control
Background:
- Growing evidence links motor difficulties in children to psychosocial problems.
- The predictive role of specific motor functions on psychosocial well-being, considering factors like family upset, remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between basic motor skills, primary reflex persistence, and psychosocial functioning in young children with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD).
Main Methods:
- The study included 225 children, with three groups: severe EBD (n=29), and matched male (n=38) and female (n=45) comparison groups.
- Children underwent standardized assessments for motor, cognitive, social, and behavioral functions, alongside a clinical protocol for primary reflex persistence.
Main Results:
- Children with severe EBD exhibited significant motor difficulties, persistent reflexes, family upset, literacy problems, attention deficits, and hyperactivity compared to controls.
- Hierarchical multiple regression identified basic motor skills, reflex persistence, family upset, hyperactivity, and literacy as significant predictors of psychosocial functioning.
Conclusions:
- Motor difficulties and primary reflex persistence may independently stress psychosocial functioning in children with EBD.
- The findings support the integration of specific movement interventions to enhance support for at-risk children.
Background:
There is growing evidence that children with motor difficulties are at risk of psychosocial problems and vice versa. However, it is not clear how far different aspects of motor function are predictive of psychosocial well-being in the context of other powerful factors, such as family upset, that are known to affect psychosocial development.
Aims:
To investigate the role of basic motor skills and primary reflex persistence in young children with severe emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD).
Sample:
From a total sample of 225 children, three groups were selected: children excluded from school (severe EBD) (n = 29), a male comparison group (n = 38), and a female comparison group (n = 45). The groups were matched (at group level) on age, IQ, and level of social disadvantage.
Method:
All of the selected children completed a range of standardized motor, cognitive, social, and behavioural measures, as well as a clinical protocol for primary reflex persistence.
Results:
Children with severe EBD had significant levels of motor difficulties, primary reflex persistence, and family upset, as well as significant literacy problems, attention deficits, and raised levels of hyperactivity/impulsivity relative to the comparison groups. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that basic motor skills, primary reflex persistence, family upset, hyperactivity, and literacy were all significant predictors of psychosocial functioning.
Conclusions:
The findings suggest that motor difficulties and primary reflex persistence may act as independent stressors of psychosocial functioning in children with EBD. We suggest that specific movement interventions should be adopted to complement existing provision for children at risk of psychosocial problems.
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