The Effect of Rhythmic Movements on the Attention of Students with Intellectual Disability

Attention is a cognitive process, and its importance in the learning process is self-evident. One of the ways to improve the attention of these children is music therapy, specifically rhythmic and coordinated movements. This study aimed to investigate the effects of rhythmic movements on the attention of students with intellectual disability.

The present study was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The study population included second and third-grade students with intellectual disability in Tehran during the academic year 2020-2021. A sample of 20 intellectually disabled was selected from the mentioned population using a convenience sampling method, considering entry and exit criteria, and they were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups (each group consisting of 10 students). The data collection was conducted using the fourth edition of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale. Then, interventions based on teaching rhythmic movements were carried out in eight one-hour sessions for the experimental group, while the control group received only regular school interventions. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in the SPSS-25 software.

The results of the analysis of covariance indicated that the rhythmic movements intervention program had a significant positive effect on the sub-scales of omission (F=96.94, p<0.001, η²= 0.58), decoding (F=12.84, p<0.001, η² =0.38), selective attention (F=14.44, p<0.001, η² =0.46), shifting attention (F=15.67, p<0.001, η²=0.42), and divided attention (F=12.95, p<0.001, η² =0.39) in students with intellectual disability.

Attention to the individual needs and specific characteristics of each child, alignment with their age level, and presenting activities in the form of play and recreation can facilitate the improvement of children's attention and cognition. To enhance children's attention, rhythmic movements must be performed regularly and coordinated with age-appropriate content. Additionally, creating a calm and suitable environment for these movements can contribute to increasing the concentration and attention of children.