Effect of Integrated sensory-motor Training on muscular strength in Educable Mental Retardation Students

Abstract

Today, in all human societies, exceptional people, especially people with intellectual disability are regarded. Students and children mentally retarded in physical skills such as strength have serious shortcomings. This study aimed town to investigate the effect of sensory-motor training on muscle strength in children with educable mental retardation. A quasi-experimental study was conducted. Thirty mentally retarded girls from primary school were selected through purposive sampling. Then, they were homogenized based on their pretest scores and were divided into two groups: fifteen experimental & fifteen control. That because of the evaluating reduction, the number of the control group reached ten. In this research, A Dynamometer and vertical jump test- was used to test physical strength. Sensory stimulation and physical exercises were practiced by the experimental group during twenty-four sessions. Each session was forty-five minutes long and was held three times a week. The control group performed the class programs. After twenty-four sessions both groups were tested. To investigate the research hypothesis Paired T-test and ANOVA2 × 2 and by SPSS software (version 21) were used. There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to improving the muscle strength (p>0.05). Statistical results showed no significant differences between the two groups with regard to improving the muscle strength. Although applying the integrated sensory- motor is common among occupational therapists, it does not yield satisfactory results for muscle strength, according to the results of this study. Simultaneous utilization of other reference frames beside the sensory-motor Integration may result in better outcomes.