Assessment of visual-motor integration functioning in a selected South African middle childhood sample

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: During middle childhood, cognitive, social, emotional and self-concept development is of importance,and prepares the child for the adaptation and challenges awaiting the child in adolescence. Visualmotorintegration is described by various sources as playing an important role in the development of achild. Visual-motor integration is the child's ability to integrate visual perceptual skills with fine motorcoordination. In order to assess visual-motor integration functioning, the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMJ) (Beery, 1989) is often applied. Considering visual-motor integrationfunctioning as an integral part of the drawing task (Harris, 1963), the Goodenough-Harris DrawingTest (GHD) may also convey important information ofa child's visual-motor integration functioning.The primary aim of the present study was to determine the status of visual-motor integrationfunctioning of the selected group of middle childhood children within the South African context, inorder to identify possible delays. Visual-motor integration functioning was determined by thechildren's performance on GHD and the VMI. Academic achievement results were also reviewed todetermine the chosen sample's status in this regard. The obtained results were analyzed andsummarized in order to obtain information leading to the fulfillment of the primary aim.The secondary aim of the present study flows parallel to the primary aim, and was motivated by theneed to discover an effective, child-friendly measurement tool of visual-motor integration, applicable ata young age, as to gain accurate knowledge of a child's visual-motor integration functioning. Thesecondary aim consisted of exploring a) the correlations (if any) between the results of theGoodenough-Harris Drawing Test (GHD) and the biographical variables of gender, chronologicalage and socioeconomic status, b) the correlations (if any) between the results of the BeeryDevelopmental test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI) and the above-mentioned variables, c) thecorrelations (if any) between academic achievement and the above-mentioned variables and test results,and d) the correlations (if any) between the VMI and GHD results, in order to compare different tests ofvisual-motor integration.Three hundred and thirty nine participants attending grade one to four in a specific primary school,took part in this study. The study resulted in various conclusions regarding the status of visual-motor integration functioning, the most relevant being that the selected sample presents with functioninglevels lower than that which is expected for children their age, in their achievement on both the VMIand the GHD, implying possible visual-motor integration functioning challenges. This finding impliesthe need to implement effective intervention programmes in order to address this seemingly evidentdelay.Conclusions regarding the vanous relationships between the test results and certain biographicalvariables include the following: It was found that the relationship between socioeconomic status andchildhood development, as reflected by the correlation between socioeconomic status and the GHD,seems very important in the South African context. When considering gender differences, femalesachieved lower scores on both tests applied in the present study than males. Chronological agecorrelated significantly with scores on the VMI. It was further shown that visual-motor integrationfunctioning could have a significant impact on academic achievement.The VMI and GHD results were compared, in order to compare different tests of visual-motorintegration. High scores on the GHD related significantly to high scores on the VMI. Although thepresent study was unable to confirm the superiority of one test, various considerations were discussedleading to the identification of a child-friendly test of visual-motor integration. The present studyhighlights the importance of identifying and addressing developmental delays in general, and visualmotorintegration functioning in specific, in order to ensure the development of middle childhoodchildren to their complete potential in the South African context. It also underlines the need foreffective, child-friendly assessment tools of visual-motor integration that will ensure the effectiveidentification of developmental delays.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University