Motor Skills Training Program Reinforces Crossing the Body’s Midline in Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

Abstract

Midline crossing problems have been associated with children with atypical development. When compared to typical development (TD) children, they are less likely to cross the midline into contralateral space with their preferred hand. A motor skills training program is the most beneficial intervention for children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). However, there is not enough information on how this intervention will affect crossing the midline. The goal of this study was to find out midline crossing behavior after an intervention program for children with DCD. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2) was used to assess motor coordination, and Bishop’s card-reaching task measured the ability of children to cross the midline. The study included 48 right-handed children, 28 with TD and 20 with DCD (5.17 ± 0.70 years) from four preschools in the Khorezm region (Uzbekistan). Participants identified as having DCD were placed in an experimental group (EG: n = 15), receiving ten weeks of a motor skills training program, and a control group (CG: n = 5). Concerning midline crossing behavior before intervention, DCD children showed more contralateral and less midline right-hand use compared to TD children. After intervention, a significant group × position interaction was found between the EG and CG at positions 1 and 4, and between the EG and TD group at position 4. Concerning the midline reaching, fewer right-hand reaches were made by the EG group compared to the other two groups. The same could be seen at position 1 when compared to the CG group. It can be concluded that, after intervention, DCD children in the EG showed fewer right-hand reaches in the contralateral space, but they improved their right-hand reaches in the midline, showing a similar behavior to TD children.