Performance of Children with Learning Disablities and Motor Delays on the Pediatric Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction for Balance (P-CTSIB)

Abstract

The ability of children with learning disabilities and motor delays to maintain postural stability under conditions of sensory conflict was compared to that of children who were typically developing. Thirty-six children, 6 through 9 years of age, with identified learning disabilities and motor delays were matched according to age, sex, and ethnicity with 36 children who were typically developing. The Pediatric Clinical Test of Sensory Interactions for Balance (P-CTSIB) was administered to both groups. This test requires children to maintain standing balance while the sensory environment is systematically altered. Performance of the two groups on six sensory system scales were compared using the Mann-Whitney U. The children with learning disabilities and motor delays received significantly lower scores on four of the six sensory system scales. These results suggest that some children with learning disabilities and motor delays have defecits in sensory organization related to balance which may contribute to...