Comparison of the Effect of Aerobic Exercise and Group Play Therapy on the ‎Coordination and Agility Skills in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity ‎Disorder

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neuro-behavioral disorder in childhood. Children with ADHD have problems such as motor coordination and agility. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of aerobic exercise and group play therapy on the coordination and agility skills in children with ADHD.

The present study was semi-experimental. In this study, 26 children (4 girls and 22 boys) were recurited. Then they were randomly divided into two experimental and control group. The experimental group was divided into the aerobic exercise group (9 children, weight (kg) 24.2±12.3, age 7.9± 2.1 years old and height 126 ± 3 cm) and group play therapy group (9 children, weight (kg) 23.8±9.2, age 7.3 ± 1.9 years old and height 121± 2 cm). Each experimental group received 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week and each session 45-60 minutes, aerobic exercises program and group play therapy. The control group (8 children, weight (kg) 25.4±6.4, age 8± 2 years old and height 127±3 cm) did not do any specific activity during this time. Upper limb coordination, bilateral limb coordination, and agility in all three groups were respectively assessed with Bruininks-Oseretsky Motor Skills Scale 5, Bruininks-Oseretsky Motor Skills Scale 3 and Zigzag Test at the beginning and end of the study. Analysis of variance with repeated measures at 5% error level was used for data analysis (p < 0.05).

The results showed that play therapy significantly increased the upper extremity coordination (p < 0.001) and bilateral coordination (p < 0.001) and agility (p < 0.001) in children. Aerobic training significantly increased upper extremity coordination (p < 0.001) and bilateral coordination (p < 0.001) and significantly reduced agility (p < 0.001). In addition, the children in the play therapy group had significantly higher upper extremity coordination and bilateral coordination and agility than the aerobic group (p < 0.001). In control group there was no change in upper extremity coordination (p=0.621) and agility (P=0.590) and bilateral coordination significantly reduced (p=0.002).

Group play therapy had more significant effect than aerobics exercise program on improving these Upper limb coordination, bilateral limb coordination, and agility. Therefore the group play therapy should be suggested.