Geschlechterdifferenzen in der Ergotherapie bei Kindern mit umschriebenen Entwicklungsstörungen – eine retrospektive Datenerhebung anhand standardisierter Testverfahren

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Against the background of the discussion about gender differences with regard to performance in various areas, it can be stated that boys receive more prescriptions than girls for occupational therapy measures at a ratio of 3 : 1. This study empirically examines whether these gender differences can be confirmed by an occupational therapy practice. Additional topics of research include whether gender differences occur when inquiring about a patient’s medical history and testing a patient’s performance in visual and auditory perception, motor function, and intelligence in the case of children with a circumscribed developmental disorder and whether the correlation between these performance areas and the development of the patient’s medical history is statistically significant. METHOD: In a quantitative, cross-sectional, full population study, 2466 patient records from an occupational therapy practice were selected and analyzed. Among other things, these records contained recordings of medical history discussions and the results of a wide range of standardized developmental tests such as DEVELOPMENTAL TEST OF VISUAL PERCEPTION (DTVP-1), CULTURE FAIR INTELLIGENCE TEST (CFIT), FROSTIG MOVEMENT SKILLS TEST BATTERY (MSB) and MOTTIER. RESULTS: It was determined that boys make up a higher percentage of children in occupational therapy treatment for developmental disorders than girls. Significant gender differences were identified with regard to motor function and in various areas of the patients’ medical histories. Girls displayed superior performance in balance and flexibility, while boys performed better at motor function tasks that require strength and hand-eye coordination. Males were diagnosed with diseases and speech abnormalities as well as poorer results in auditory perception at a conspicuously higher rate, which results in a ”vicious cycle model”. CONCLUSIONS: The increased need for occupational therapy measures for boys means that in the field of child development, emphasis should continue to be placed on males. When working with groups of children, particularly with heterogeneous groups, boys should receive individual attention, especially in the light of the gender differences in motor function. In addition, early diagnosis and treatment of infections and abnormalities of the ear, nose, and throat is essential to both one’s sense of hearing and one’s sense of balance. This could help prevent the vicious cycle of syndromes, such as speech development abnormalities and behavioral problems. This especially applies to the detection of abnormalities in boys, as they perform significantly poorer than girls of the same age and therefore must be classified as being in greater need of therapy.