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Published on: June 20, 2020
Pilot Implementation of an Intervention Program to Promote Fine Motor Skills in Preschoolers: Feasibility and
Suchitporn Lersilp1, Kewalin Panyo1, Napalai Chaimaha1
1Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand, cmu.ac.th.
Background:
Early intervention programs are needed for children at risk of fine motor delays. Due to the scarcity of community occupational therapists, alternative services are being developed through collaboration with related professionals.
Objective:
This study was aimed at evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of a pilot intervention program designed to promote fine motor skill development in preschoolers attending early childhood educational settings in a community.
Methods:
A pilot quasi-experimental design was employed. Thirty preschoolers (aged 2-6 years) were identified as at-risk for fine motor delays and recruited from early childhood educational settings in a community in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. The intervention program was tailored to five age groups and comprised 20 activity sessions (10 h total) that focused on both bilateral motor coordination and visual-motor integration. Content validity of the program was assessed by five experts. Feasibility was evaluated by using McNemar's test. Acceptability was explored through a focus group of seven teachers as program users. Then, qualitative data were analyzed by thematic analysis.
Results:
McNemar's test was employed to evaluate the change in fine motor development for paired dichotomous data ("still delayed" vs. "normal/improved"). At postintervention, 22 out of 30 children (73.33%) demonstrated improved fine motor development, with significant statistical support (χ 2 = 5.63, p < 0.001, α = 0.05). Odds ratio of improvement was 2.75, with 95% confidence interval (CI) (95% CI: 1.22-6.18), indicating the magnitude of the effect. The highest developmental gains were observed in children aged 4.0-4.11 years (Group III). Thematic analysis revealed three core themes indicating acceptability: (1) engagement and appropriateness of materials, (2) effectiveness in promoting fine motor and academic skills, and (3) practicality and usability for teachers.
Conclusion:
This teacher-led collaborative service provides promising preliminary evidence of a feasible and acceptable approach to promoting fine motor skills in at-risk preschoolers, though further rigorous studies are needed to confirm its efficacy.
