Perceived Motor Competence in 9-10 old Years Boys with Developmental Coordination Disorder: Comparison the Effect of Selected Physical, Metal and Compound Training

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) affects 5–6% of school–aged children. Abrupt determination and adopt a supportive strategy is necessarily. DCD not only influences in daily activities and educational function but also associated with poorer physical health, fitness, psychological and social outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of different types of selected training programs (physical, mental and compound) to investigate the best intervention method in order to improve perceived motor competence in 9–10–year–old children with developmental coordination disorder.

This study was an experimental, pre and post–test study with control group design. According to developmental coordination disorder questionnaire (DCDQ–07) and movement assessment battery for children second edition (MABC–2), 55 school age (9–10–year–old) boys diagnosed to have developmental coordination disorder. The children were randomly grouped in four experimental groups, 3 training interventions groups (physical, mental and compound) (n=14) and the control group (n=13). Visual vividness and physical self–perception determined by visual vividness questionnaire (VVQ) and Harter scale respectively. Training programs involved 24 sessions of 45 minutes for each of them. The programs consist of selected physical, mental and compound trainings, which respectively conducted in groups and individually. Compound group was given different training order in turn (physical+mental and vice versa) and control group was not assigned to any intervention. In order to modify cognitive and arousal effects induced by training order counterbalance method was recruited. All measures were administered pre and post an 8–week, 3 times a week to identify the changes in physical self–perception associated with trainings. To detect differences between the pre– and post–test, after making sure of normal distribution of data utilizing Shapiro–Wilks normality test and Levene’s test, Ancova and paired sample T–Test were conducted to calculate equality of variances and Post hoc comparisons were followed by Bonfrroni test (set at 0.05). Effect size was calculated to determine the practical significance of statistical difference (p<0.05). All data were analyzed using SPSS–19 for windows.

The results showed that all 3 training groups (mental, physical and compound) indicates significant improvement (p<0.001) in motor perception from pre–test to post–test. Within group comparisons implies that compound training significantly (p<0.05) caused more effect than the others. As well as statistical, this positive improvement also showed a large practical significance (d=0.43), (d=0.55), (d=0.73) in mental, physical and compound groups respectively after the intervention period. 

The result determines significant improvement in physical self– perception that can be fulfilled by using physical and mental trainings for 9–10–year–old boys who have developmental coordination disorder, and compound training might be the most effective way to facilitate motor development in DCD children. It is important to remember that the motor competence and self–concept of children are two important components of their total well– beings, which seemed to be interlinked from young age. When they experience problem such as those indicate for DCD, specific intervention seems to be necessary in order to optimally improve these aspects. This study might help to develop training protocol for DCD children based on more documents, which improve our knowledge of perceived competence from both physical and mental trainings functions that would be beneficial for DCD children and therapists.