The effect of self-regulation on motor and social skill of preschool children with developmental coordination disorder

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of self-regulation on on motor and social skill of preschool children with developmental coordination disorder. The research method was quasi-experimental and was a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The study population of children aged 4-7 years had developmental coordination disorder in Babol city, 30 of whom were selected by purposeful method and after pre-test were divided into two groups of intervention and control by simple random sampling. The Wilson (2007) Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire, Bruninks-Ozertsky (1978) and Gersham Valiot (1990) Social Skills Questionnaire were used to collect data. The groups practiced for 16 sessions, two sessions per week and each session lasted 60 minutes according to the educational method, and at the end of the eighth week, the post-test was performed. Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of covariance and SPSS software (version 22) at a significance level of P≤0.05. The results showed that self-regulation on gross motor skill (p ≤ 0.001 and F = 11.434), self-regulation on fine motor skill (p = 0.001 and F = 32.820), self-regulation on fine and gross motor skill (p = 0.0031 and F = 10.153) And social skill (p = 0.0046 and F = 12.056) had a significant effect. As a result, self-regulation is effective on motor development and social skill and it is suggested that this strategy be used to improve skills in preschool children with developmental coordination disorder.