Methods of Hydrokinesis Therapy for Children 3-5 Years with Cerebral Palsy of Spastic Form

Abstract

Today there is a need to develop a method of hydrokinesis therapy as a means of gradual formation of motor skills in children with spastic diplegia of cerebral palsy of the chronic-residual stage of the disease in a comprehensive program of physical rehabilitation. The purpose of the study is to develop a method of hydrokinesis therapy for children 3-5 years with cerebral palsy of spastic form. The main novelties of the developed technique of hydrokinesis therapy: development of application of complexes of exercises in hydrokinesis therapy, which differs in structure from the generally accepted methods for patients with cerebral palsy of spastic form in the chronic-residual stage of the disease; combination of means of physical rehabilitation with the technique of hydrokinesis therapy during the annual cycle. The study involved 24 children 3-5 years of age with a diagnosis of "cerebral palsy, spastic diplegia" of the chronic-residual stage of the disease of moderate severity. To achieve this goal, theoretical analysis and generalization of data from scientific and methodological literature were used; pedagogical experiment and observation; medical and biological methods (used anthropometry and Pinier index; goniometry, assessment of basic motor functions (ABMF) on the Likert scale, muscle tone on the Ashfort scale, muscle strength on the Lovett scale; assessment of manipulative activity and speed response of the hands on trapping- the test made it possible to determine the level of development of fine motor skills); sociological methods (surveys of parents on questionnaires of social and emotional state and level of children's play activities); methods of mathematical statistics were used to process the actual experimental material, assess the reliability of the data. There were significant (p <0.01) changes in the indicators of social and emotional state in children with main group (MG) by 15.5%, in comparative group (CG) - by 11.7%, and there was a slight improvement in play activity in children with MG by 9.6%, in CG - by 5.75%. The developed method of hydrokinesiotherapy is effective and helps to improve the functions of general and fine motor skills, socio-emotional state and the level of activity of play activities of children 3-5 years with cerebral palsy of spastic form.