Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 5, 2025
Author Spotlight: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Movement Observation in Cerebral Palsy
Published on: August 9, 2024
Effects of a one-year physical activity intervention on fundamental movement skills of boys with severe intellectual
Lei Zhang1, Xihe Zhu2, Justin A Haegele2
1School of Physical Education and Sport Training, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China.
Insights
A one-year physical activity intervention significantly improved fundamental movement skills (FMS) in boys with severe intellectual disabilities (ID). Improvements were evident after 12 months, not 6 months.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Physical Therapy
- Developmental Disabilities Research
- Motor Skill Acquisition
Background:
- Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for fundamental movement skills (FMS) in children with severe intellectual disabilities (ID) is largely unknown.
- Children with severe ID often exhibit deficits in FMS, impacting daily functioning and participation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of a year-long physical activity intervention on FMS in boys with severe ID.
- To compare the intervention group's progress against a control group engaged in supervised free play.
Main Methods:
- Forty-two boys with severe ID were randomized into an intervention or control group.
- The intervention group received semi-structured physical activity for 12 months; the control group had supervised free play.
- FMS were assessed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months, controlling for age and BMI.
Main Results:
- The intervention group showed significant improvements in FMS at posttest compared to the control group, after controlling for BMI and pretest scores.
- No significant FMS improvements were observed from pretest to midterm for either group.
- The control group did not show significant FMS improvement from midterm to posttest.
Conclusions:
- A one-year physical activity intervention can enhance FMS performance in children with severe ID.
- Significant improvements in FMS may require extended intervention periods (12 months) rather than shorter durations (6 months).
- This study highlights the potential of tailored physical activity programs for improving motor skills in this population.
Background:
Little is known about the effectiveness of using physical activity-based interventions to improve fundamental movement skills (FMS) of children with severe intellectual disabilities (ID).
Aims:
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a one-year physical activity intervention on FMS among boys with severe ID.
Methods And Procedures:
Forty-two boys with severe ID (Mage= 9.6 years) were randomized into experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in a semi-structured physical activity intervention, while the control group engaged in a supervised free play program, for 60 min per meeting, five times per week, over 12 months. Participants' FMS were assessed for pretest, 6-month midterm, and posttest; their age, body mass index (BMI) were also collected.
Outcomes And Results:
Controlling for participants' BMI and pretest scores, the intervention significantly improved posttest FMS in the experimental group compared to the comparison group. No significant improvement was found from midterm to posttest for the comparison group. No significant improvement was found from pretest to midterm FMS performance for both groups.
Conclusions And Implications:
The results suggest that the fundamental movement skill performance of children with severe ID can be improved, although the significant effects may only be evident after long (1 year), rather than short-term (6 months), time periods.
More Related Videos
11:29Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools
Published on: June 20, 2020
10:08Effects of a Novel Neuromuscular Training Intervention on Jump, Sprint, and Change of Direction in Adult Female Soccer Players
Published on: June 10, 2025
