The Effect of Distance Education Play Activities on the Motor Skills of Children with Down Syndrome

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of an adapted play activities module on the motor skills of children with Down Syndrome (DS) through distance education. The participants were twenty children (10 boys and 10 girls), aged 4-7 years, with DS, and living in Denizli. The average age of children with DS was 5.25 +/- 1.02 years. In the study, the activity program consisting of games and exercises were adapted from the MEB Play Activities Module and was applied for 60 minutes, 2 days a week for 12 weeks through distance education by forming 2 different study groups. Before and after the adapted exercise program, the pretest and posttest motor skill measurements of the children were assessed through the Bruininks-Oseretsky Motor Competence Test Short Form (BOT-2 SF). There was no significant difference between the mean scores of all subtests and total scores of the BOT-2 SF in boys and girls with DS (p>0.05). However, in terms of age variable, there was a significant difference in favor of children with DS in the 6-7 age group in BOT-2 SF total scores and fine motor accuracy, dexterity and strength subtests (p<0.05). In the study, a significant difference was found between the pre-test and post-test total and sub -test scores of the BOT-2 SF of children with DS (p<0.05). The results of the study showed that the activity program consisting of games and exercises given through distance education improved the motor skills of children with DS.