Object Control Skills Training for Children With Intellectual Disability: An Implementation Case Study

Children with intellectual disability (ID) tend to have difficulty with mastering fundamental movement skills, associated with cognitive deficits that impair skill acquisition. In this case study, motor learning evidence was transformed into an object control skills training program for children with ID in a school context. An implementation framework was used for program design, pilot, and evaluation. Research evidence on error-reduced motor learning was combined with practitioners’ insights to inform the program design. Children with ID in the participant school were allocated to a training or control group for the pilot; object control skills proficiency was the measured outcome. The lead trainer was interviewed and their notes were reviewed for process evaluation. Significant improvements in participants’ object control skills proficiency were found following training. The process evaluation confirmed fidelity and identified implementation factors. The systematically designed application was found beneficial for children with ID. Implementation criteria were identified for future iterations of an error-reduced approach to training movement skills of children with ID

Assessment of measures of physical activity of children with cerebral palsy at home and school: a pilot study

ABSTRACTHome and school are important settings where children can accrue health promoting physical activity (PA). Little&nbsp;is known about the PA levels and associated environmental characteristics at home and school in children with&nbsp;cerebral palsy (CP). An observational tool - Behaviors of Eating and Activity for Children&rsquo;s Health Evaluation System&nbsp;(BEACHES) - offers potential for providing information.Objective: To validate BEACHES against Actigraph accelerometer and to document PA of children with CP at&nbsp;a special residential school facility for children with physical disabilities.Methods: Five children with CP (2 girls, 3 boys; aged 9.82 &plusmn; 2.39 years) in Level I of the Gross Motor Function&nbsp;Classification System (GMFCS) participated. PA monitoring was conducted once a week during four consecutive&nbsp;weeks at morning recess at school and during after school hours at the children&rsquo;s residence. Estimates of time&nbsp;spent being sedentary and being active were derived from the Actigraph and compared to estimates obtained with&nbsp;BEACHES.Results: Children&rsquo;s PA observed using BEACHES was comparable to the Actigraph estimations. In general,&nbsp;children were more active at recess than after school and the physical locations assessed by BEACHES were&nbsp;associated with objectively measured PA time.Conclusion: This pilot study indicates that BEACHES appears to be a suitable measure of PA for children with&nbsp;CP in both home and school settings. Additional study with a larger and more diverse sample is recommended to&nbsp;verify the results.</div

Strategies for Teachers to Promote Physical Activity in Early Childhood Education Settings—A Scoping Review

Recent evidence has emphasized the importance of the early childhood years for developing lifelong physical activity patterns. As such, evidence-informed programs that create opportunities for young children to engage in physical activity are needed and education settings present an important context. This review aimed to identify strategies that are implemented by teachers to promote physical activity in early childhood education and care settings. This is a scoping review that followed the framework proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Searches were conducted using the databases of PubMed, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, SPORT Discus, ERIC and Web of Science for publications up to September 2020. From a total of 8974 articles, 19 were deemed eligible. Ten types of strategies, performed by teachers with the intention to improve physical activity-related primary outcomes, were identified. Physical activity promotion by teachers in early childhood settings is recommended to take a multi-strategy approach, in conjunction with professional development training opportunities and continuous follow-up support for teachers. Future work is warranted to fill the evidence gap in other regions (e.g., Asia, Africa and South America) and strengthen the evidence base to establish best practice standards

Examining the Antecedent Role of Movement Proficiency in Child Development: Study Protocol

Background: Decades of research, largely from associational studies, show that the relationships of movement proficiency with the cognitive and social aspects of development are particularly strong in early childhood. Children who move proficiently tend to have better cognitive skills and social behaviors. However, the mechanisms that underpin these relationships remain unclear and research that explores causation is necessary. This study will explore the antecedent role of movement proficiency in the cognitive and social domains of child development, by examining whether a targeted movement skills training program facilitates improvements in cognitive and social skills. Methods: A group-randomized controlled trial will be conducted, implementing a fundamental movement skills training program in Hong Kong kindergartens. Participants will consist of children aged 3–5 years (N = 158) who will be randomly allocated by class to either a training or active control condition. The training program (10 weeks × 2 bouts) will be informed by an error-reduced approach to skills learning, which will involve careful design and manipulation of equipment and training environment to minimize practice errors. The active control condition will consist of typical movement activities implemented in the kindergartens in the context of the local curriculum guide. Outcomes will be measured using standardized tests of gross motor skills proficiency, executive functioning, and social skills. Measurements will occur at baseline, mid-training, post-training, and follow-up. Latent variable longitudinal modeling will be used to analyze changes in the outcomes, with covariates that include sex, body composition, fine motor skills, and physical activity. Expected Results: The findings will subsequently be reported consistent with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement. Contributions to knowledge and understanding of child development are expected, through evidence of causal mechanisms surrounding the relationship of motor with cognitive and social development. The findings will also inform policy and practice related to early childhood development and education

Evaluation of a School-Based Dissemination of the Movement Guidelines for Young Children in Hong Kong: Study Protocol

Background Healthy movement behaviors in early childhood are believed to track to adulthood, potentially imparting protective benefits against non-communicable diseases. Highlighting the collaborative and complementary roles of parents and educators in promoting health of young children, this study aims to enable parents and teachers to successfully promote healthy movement behaviors in young children. Guidelines for physical activity, sedentary screen time, and sleep of children aged 2 to 6 years will be systematically disseminated to parents and teachers of children enrolled in early childhood education centers (ECECs) in Hong Kong. An evaluation will be conducted to assess the implementation process and the outcomes of the dissemination of said guidelines. Methods The evaluation will include formative and summative components to examine the implementation (i.e., process evaluation) and the outcomes (i.e., outcome evaluation). Participants include teachers, parents, and children from ECECs in Hong Kong. The process evaluation will be guided by the RE-AIM framework (i.e., reach, efficacy, adaptation, implementation, maintenance). Data gathering and analysis will take a mixed-methods triangulation design - convergence model. The outcome evaluation consists of a non-randomized observational study, using quantitative data from questionnaires and accelerometers. The primary outcome to be measured is the extent to which children meet the guidelines for physical activity, sedentary screen time, and sleep; the secondary outcome is teachers’ and parents’ knowledge and awareness of the guidelines. Discussion Young children who engage in healthy movement behaviors are likely to become adults who will have the disposition to engage in behaviors that have protective effects against non-communicable diseases. The findings of this evaluation are expected to contribute to improving the strategies of systems and government agencies that aspire to promote healthy movement behaviors of young children

Movement Guidelines for Young Children: Engaging Stakeholders to Design Dissemination Strategies in the Hong Kong Early Childhood Education Context

Background Early childhood is a critical period during which patterns of movement behaviors are formed. The World Health Organization had endorsed guidelines for physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep over a 24-h time period, which had been adopted by the Center for Health Protection of Hong Kong. This paper reports on stakeholder engagements that were conducted to inform the design of strategies to disseminate the guidelines in early childhood education (ECE) settings. Methods Using a mixed-methods study design, we sought to (a) assess the stakeholders\u27 levels of awareness and knowledge of the Hong Kong movement guidelines for young children and (b) identify the factors that influence the uptake of the said guidelines. We conducted an online survey of early childhood education teachers (N =314), twelve focus groups involving teachers (N = 18) and parents (N = 18), and individual interviews of key informants (N = 7) and domestic workers who provide care for preschool-aged children (N = 7). Descriptive statistics were used for the quantitative data, and thematic analysis was performed on the qualitative data using an inductive and semantic approach following a realist framework. Findings Our findings show that teachers were aware of the movement guidelines for young children, but their knowledge of the specific guidelines was deficient; parents and domestic workers had limited awareness and knowledge of the guidelines. Uptake of the movement guidelines is enabled by parent engagement, activities in the ECE centers, home-school cooperation, and community activities for children. The challenges include the time poverty of parents, local curriculum requirements, limited physical spaces, social values, and pandemic-related restrictions. Conclusion We recommend that dissemination strategies in the ECE context should deliver knowledge content and support stakeholders in mitigating the challenges associated with time, space, and social conditions

Application of analogy learning in softball batting: Comparing novice and intermediate players.

Thisfield-based study developed and implemented analogy instructions for softballbatting, and examined batting performance outcomes. A focus-group discussioninvolving a coach and a number of team captains of a collegiate-level softball teamidentified the typical instructions used for batting (i.e., explicit) and developed ananalogy instruction that combined these rules in 1 biomechanical metaphor (i.e.,swing your bat like you are breaking a tree in front of you with an axe). A total of40 collegiate-level club players (20 novices and 20 intermediates) were assigned toeither an analogy learning or an explicit learning group and took part in 6 trainingsessions. Batting performance was assessed using a standardized criteria-basedrating scale in single-task pretest and posttest, and a dual-task test after training.The findings show that the novice, but not the intermediate players, displayedsignificant improvements in batting performance after training. Novices who re-ceived the analogy instruction displayed stable batting performance in the dual-tasktest, but novices who received explicit instructions, and intermediate players whoreceived the analogy instruction, displayed batting performance decrements. Thefindings suggest that the benefits of analogy instructions are evident only innovices; learners’ previous experiences must, therefore, be carefully consideredwhen developing coaching programs

The colour we wear: Impact on self-predicted and actual motor performance

The effect of colouron different aspects of performance has been the subject of substantial research interest, and red had been shown to have varying effects on not only performance, but perceptions as well. This study examined the effect of apparel colour on self-predicted and actual motor performance. Thirty-six young adults (18 females, 18 males; 20.4 SD 1.32 years old), who had no experience in football, performed a task consisting of an agility ladder drill and football shooting, in each of three bib colours (red, blue, black). Self-predicted and actual performances were measured on the dimensions of shooting accuracy and kicking power. A significant effect of colour on self-predicted shooting accuracy was found. Participants expected themselves to shoot less accurately when they were wearing a red bib, compared to when wearing blue and black bibs. No effect of colour on actual performance was found and no significant interaction was found between colour and sex. The findings suggest that wearing red could reduce users’ expectations of their performance in a novel motor task; there is no effect on actual performance

Parental Influence on Child and Adolescent Physical Activity Level: A Meta-Analysis

Parents are often regarded as one of the significant social agents who are important to the participation of physical activity (PA) among children and adolescents. However, within the literature, the relationships between parental influences and child and adolescent PA have been inconclusive and discordant. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to quantify and synthesize the associations between parental social influences (positive parental influence, punishment, and discouragement) and the PA level of children and adolescents. Through a systematic literature search using PsycINFO, Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest, and SPORTDiscus databases, we identified 112 eligible studies and subsequently extracted 741 effect sizes for our analysis. Multilevel meta-analysis showed that the corrected zero-order correlation of positive parental influence was positive and statistically significant, r = 0.202, SE = 0.014, t = 14.975, p \u3c 0.001, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [0.176, 0.228]. Further moderation analysis also found that this was significantly moderated by parental gender (maternal vs. paternal), respondent of influence measure (parent-reported vs. child-reported), and type of PA measure (subjective vs. objective). The corrected zero-order correlations of negative parental influences (i.e., punishment and discouragement) were not statistically significant, and no significant moderation effects were observed. The findings of our meta-analysis showed that children and adolescents had higher PA levels when their parents supported PA participation by exerting positive social influence. Punishment and discouragement against PA by parents did not appear to be significantly associated with the PA level of children and adolescents. The findings of negative parental social influence were mixed and required further investigations

The effects of unilateral hand contractions on conscious control in early motor learning

Hemisphere asymmetry can be influenced by hand contractions. Brain imaging studies have indicated that pre-performance left-hand contractions may reduce verbal-analytical engagement in motor planning, whereas pre-performance right-hand contractions may increase verbal-analytical engagement in motor planning. This study examined whether a pre-performance left-hand contraction protocol reduced verbal-analytical engagement during practice of a golf putting task, thereby causing implicit motor learning. Forty-eight golf-novices were randomly allocated to left-hand contractions, right-hand contractions or no hand-contractions (control) groups. A line bisection task was conducted as a manipulation check of whether hemisphere asymmetry occurred. All participants practiced a golf putting task, with their allotted hand contraction protocol performed for 30 sec before every ten putts. Thereafter, participants completed two retention tests (blocks of single-task putting) before and after one transfer test (a block of dual-task putting). Different objective and subjective measures of verbal-analytical engagement were collected. Golf putting accuracy and kinematicswere assessed. Additionally, mood-state as a function of hemisphere asymmetry was measured. The line bisection task did not reveal a hemisphere asymmetry effect of the different hand contraction protocols. All groups equally improved during practice; however, the no hand-contraction (control) group showed better performance during both retention tests compared to left-hand and right-hand contraction groups. All groups performed worse in the dual-task transfer test. The objective and subjective measures of verbal-analytical engagement revealed no effect of hand contractions. General mood-state decreased for all groups from pre-to post-practice. Unilateral hand contractions prior to practicing the golf-putting task did not affect performance differently fromthe no hand-contraction (control) group. However, hand contractions resulted in worse performance compared to the no hand-contraction group during the retention tests, and dual-task transfer performance disrupted performance in all groups. No differences in verbal-analytical engagement were evident. Consequently, left-hand contractions did not promote implicit motor learning. Possible explanations and recommendations for future studies are discussed