A study to determine the motor proficiency of children between the ages of six and ten years diagnosed with ADHD in the Cape Metropole

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:Background:Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have been reported to havemotor proficiency problems. Few studies have established the extent of these motorproblems and few studies investigate both gross and fine motor proficiency. The studieswhich do investigate motor proficiency, often also include other aspects, for examplephysical fitness, grip strength or kinaesthesia. It is important to be able to identify motorproficiency deficit in this population group early for appropriate intervention to be aseffective as possible. The first step in this process is to identify the areas of motorproficiency deficits experienced by these children.Study Design:A cross-sectional descriptive study was done.Objective:The main aim of this study was to establish if children with ADHD demonstrate motorproficiency problems. A second aim was to identify in which areas of motor proficiencythey have the most problems.Method:A sample of 28 boys and 9 girls (n = 37) children with ADHD, between the ages of six andten, were identified by the medical practitioners at four school clinics in the CapeMetropole. The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency was used to test thechildren. The demographic and other factors that could have affected the motor proficiencyin these children were recorded.Results:The range, mean and standard deviation were calculated for all the subtests and the threecomposite scores. Eighty-one percent of children scored below the expected norm on theBattery Composite Score (20th percentile) with the difference in age equivalent scoresbeing significantly different (p < 0.01), the Gross Motor Composite Score (20th percentileand p < 0.01) and on the Running Speed and Agility Subtest (p < 0.01), the BalanceSubtest (p < 0.01), Strength Subtest (p < 0.01) and the Upper Limb Coordination Subtest(p < 0.01). No significant motor proficiency problems were identified in the Fine MotorComposite Score (35th percentile), the Bilateral Coordination Subtest, the ResponseSpeed Subtest, the Visual motor Subtest or the Visual Motor Control Subtest.Conclusions:These results support the literature in so far as motor proficiency deficits are present inchildren with ADHD, which in turn supports the need for early identification of theseproblems.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University