OPTIMAL Motor Teaching Strategies Employed in Physiotherapy for Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: An Observational Study

Abstract

Aims To describe the teaching strategies that physiotherapists currently employ in individual therapy sessions for children with DCD using the OPTIMAL theory for motor learning as a framework, focused on (1) autonomy (supporting autonomy vs. therapist-controlled), (2) expectancies (enhancing vs. lowering expectancies), and (3) attention (promoting an internal vs. an external focus of attention). Methods Eighteen physiotherapy sessions were videotaped and analyzed with Noldus The Observer XT using the OPTIMAL Strategies Observational Tool (OSOT). Relative duration (% of session time) and frequency were extracted for teaching strategies related to autonomy, expectancies, and attention. Results Physiotherapists mostly applied strategies to support autonomy and enhance expectancies in contrast to therapist-controlled strategies, and lowering expectancies. Strategies to promote either an internal or an external focus of attention were used to a similar extent. Furthermore, strategies were frequently combined; physiotherapists often employed more than one teaching strategy at a time. Conclusions The insight into current physiotherapy teaching practice that this study provides can help inform research and application regarding effective motor teaching for children with DCD. Follow up studies are needed to further investigate how child and task characteristics influence teaching strategy employment and to examine physiotherapists’ reasoning behind their choice of strategies.