The effect of fine motor activities on development of visual-perceptual skills in individuals with Down syndrome

The development of visual-perceptual skills in children with Down syndrome (DS) is usually significantly delayed. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fine motor activities on the development of visual-perceptual skills in individuals with DS.

In this experimental study، a convenience sample of 18 Down syndrome subjects، aged from 9 to 13 years، were first recruited from an accessible population and then randomly assigned to the intervention or control groups so that the two groups had an equal number of participants. The subjects in the intervention group completed a 24-session program of regular fine motor activities. The Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills-Revised (TVPS-R) was administered before and after the intervention phase. Kolmogorov-Smirnov، independent t، paired t and chi-square tests were used for statistical analysis of the obtained data.

Comparing the pre-treatment results with those achieved after the intervention phase، the intervention group but not the control group showed a significant difference (P < 0. 05 and P = 0. 095، respectively). Moreover، there was a significant difference between the two groups after intervention period (P = 0. 014).

Fine motor activities were effective in enhancing visual-perceptual skills in individuals with DS and this should be considered in the favor of the necessity of administering fine motor intervention programs for this population of children and of educating their parents.