Effects of Motor Planning on Sensory Profile, Balance, and Academic Achievement in Children with Intellectual Disability

Children with Intellectual Disability (ID) struggle with their motor balance and also have difficulty learning new motor skills. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of motor planning on sensory profile, balance, and academic achievement in children with ID.

Method and Materials: 

This quasi-experimental research adopted a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all male and female elementary school students aged 7–11 years with mild ID in Shiraz, Iran in 2021. Purposive sampling was employed to select 30 students as the research sample. They were then randomly assigned to the motor planning group (n=15) and the control group (n=15). The data were collected by using the sensory profile, static and dynamic balance tests, and academic achievement. The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used for data analysis in SPSS 24.

According to the results, there was a significant difference between the motor planning group and the control group in sensory profile, balance, and academic achievement (P<0.01).

Since the motor planning exercises improved the sensory profile, balance, and academic achievement in children with mild ID, their parents and educators are recommended to employ these exercises to improve those skills.