Motor skills in intellectual disability children: assessment and its relation with some effective factors

There is a relatively small body of research on the assessment of the motor performance of children with intellectual disabilities. Adequate levels of motor skills may contribute to the lifelong enjoyment of physical activity, participation in sports and healthy lifestyles. The aim of this study was to evaluate the motor performance of intellectual disability children, to determine the relationship between their motor function with intelligence level, the number of siblings and the socioeconomic status and Level of Education of the family, and also to compare motor performance between Both sexes boy and girl and between the students of the city and the village. The present study was descriptive and correlational. 124 intellectual disability children (58 girls and 66 boys) aged 7-10 years were selected as a target group. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition (MABC-2) test was used to assessing motor skills. Independent t-test, as well as the Spearman correlation coefficient, were used to test the hypotheses. There was a positive and significant correlation between IQ level and Manual dexterity sub-scales (r=0.504, p<0.01). There was a positive and significant correlation between IQ level and Aiming and catching sub-scales (r=0.44, p<0.01). There was a positive and significant correlation between IQ level and balance sub-scales (r=0.55, p<0.01). Also, there was a positive and significant correlation between IQ level and a total score of MABC-2 (r=0.55, p<0.01). There was a negative and significant correlation between family income level and manual dexterity subscale (r=-0.30; p<0.01). There was a negative and significant correlation between the income level of the family and Aiming and catching sub-scales (r=-0.32, p<0.01). There was a negative and significant correlation between the family income level and balance sub-scales (r=-0.66, p<0.01). Also, there was a negative and significant correlation between family income level and a total score of MABC-2 (r=-0.46, p<0.01). There was a negative and significant correlation between a father's level of education and manual dexterity subscale scale (r=-0.28; p<0.01). There was a significant negative correlation between a father's level of education and aiming and catching sub-scales. (r=-0.24, p<0.01). There was a negative and significant correlation between a father's level of education and balance subscale (r=-0.26, p<0.01). Also, there was a negative and significant correlation between a father's level of education and a total score of the MABC-2 test (r =-0.29, p<0.01). There was a negative and significant correlation between the mother's level of education and manual dexterity subscale scale (r=-0.31; p<0.01). There was a significant negative correlation between the mother's level of education and aiming and catching sub-scales. (r=-0.33, p<0.01). There was a negative and significant correlation between the mother's level of education and balance subscale (r =-0.43, p<0.01). Also, there was a negative and significant correlation between a father's level of education and a total score of the MABC-2 test (r=-0.44, p<0.01). The results of this study supported the notion that children with intellectual disabilities have a poor motor function that motor and cognitive functioning of them are related.