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A Pilot Study of a Parent-Mediated, Web-Based Motor Skill Intervention for Children With Down Syndrome: Project SKIP
Amanda Young1,2, Seán Healy3, Lisa Silliman-French4
1Slippery Rock University.
Insights
Project SKIP, a parent-mediated intervention, significantly improved ball skills in children with Down syndrome. Parents found the program feasible, effective, and engaging for their children's motor development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Motor Learning
Background:
- Children with Down syndrome often experience delays in fundamental motor skills.
- Developing scalable and sustainable interventions is crucial for this population.
- Parent-mediated interventions offer a promising approach to support motor skill development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of Project SKIP, a web-based, parent-mediated intervention.
- To improve ball skills in children with Down syndrome.
- To assess parental perceptions of the intervention's usability and impact.
Main Methods:
- A 6-week intervention study involving 24 families with children with Down syndrome.
- Participants were assigned to an experimental group (Project SKIP) or an inactive comparison group.
- The Test of Gross Motor Development-3 was used for pre- and post-intervention assessments. Parent surveys evaluated feasibility and satisfaction.
Main Results:
- Children in the experimental group showed significant improvement in ball skills (p = .023, d = 0.86).
- The comparison group did not exhibit significant improvements.
- Parents reported high satisfaction, perceived Project SKIP as feasible and effective, with 57% engaging 3-4 times weekly.
Conclusions:
- Project SKIP is a feasible and effective parent-mediated intervention for improving ball skills in children with Down syndrome.
- The intervention shows promise for enhancing fundamental motor skills in this population.
- Web-based, parent-mediated approaches can support early intervention efforts for children with developmental disabilities.
Abstract:
To inform the development of scalable and sustainable fundamental motor skill interventions for children with Down syndrome, this study examined the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of Project Skill Intervention Implemented by Parents (Project SKIP), a web-based, parent-mediated intervention intended to improve ball skills among children with Down syndrome. Twenty-four families enrolled in the study (including 13 boys and 11 girls; Mage = 4.92). Fourteen children were assigned to an experimental group and participated in the 6-week intervention, and 10 children served as the inactive comparison group. The Test of Gross Motor Development-3 was administered preintervention and postintervention. In addition, parents of children in the experimental group completed a postintervention survey to assess their perceptions of Project SKIP. Following the intervention, there was a significant improvement in ball skills (p = .023, d = 0.86) for children in the experimental group, whereas the comparison group did not show significant improvement. Moreover, parents perceived Project SKIP to be feasible and effective; all parents reported being satisfied with their overall experience in the program, and 11 parents indicated that their child's fundamental motor skills were positively influenced by the intervention. Engagement was high, with the majority of parents (n = 8, 57%) interacting with Project SKIP content three to four times a week.
