Abstract
Delays in fundamental motor skill (FMS) competency have been observed in a variety of children with disabilities. However, evidence of FMS delays is largely limited to small, geographically specific, limitedly diverse, and non-representative samples. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between FMS competency and reported disability status among pre-school children, ages 3–5 years, using the 2012 National Youth Fitness Survey (NYFS). In total, 329 preschool children (49% female; 4.00 ± 0.04 years of age) from the 2012 NYFS completed the Test of Gross Motor Development−2, including 43 preschoolers identified with a disability based on parental report (44% female; 4.20 ± 0.16 years). Associations were examined with logistic regression using sampling weights. Poor FMS competency, defined as gross motor quotient scores ≤ 79, was observed in significantly more children with disabilities (29%) than children without disabilities (10%, OR = 3.5, p = 0.04). While not statistically significant, there was a growing disparity in FMS competency at age 5 (41 vs. 11%) compared to age 3 (15 vs. 9%, OR = 1.80, p = 0.30). The results provide additional evidence for poor FMS competency among pre-school children with disabilities. FMS should be an early part of comprehensive assessments for all children suspected of disability or development delay as it is critical to identify and intervene upon FMS delays before discrepancies can widen.
Highlights
Fundamental motor skills (FMS), including locomotor and object control skills, are the building blocks for developing advanced, complex motor skills to be used in heath-enhancing physical activities [1]
FMS represent an important aspect of development during early childhood and a growing body of evidence suggests that motor competence plays a reciprocal role with physical activity to promote positive health in children [2, 3]
Significant delays in FMS competency were identified among preschool children with disabilities compared to preschoolers without disabilities
Summary
Fundamental motor skills (FMS), including locomotor and object control skills, are the building blocks for developing advanced, complex motor skills to be used in heath-enhancing physical activities [1]. FMS represent an important aspect of development during early childhood and a growing body of evidence suggests that motor competence plays a reciprocal role with physical activity to promote positive health in children [2, 3]. This dynamic relationship between motor competence and physical activity is inversely related to obesity risk [2], and is positively interconnected with perceived motor competence and health-related physical fitness [2, 3]. Delays in FMS competence during early childhood may be problematic as poor FMS competency can lead to lower levels of physical activity across the life
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