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Are Teaching Principles Associated With Improved Motor Performance in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder? A Pilot Study

AS Niemeijer, MSc, is a doctoral candidate at the Center for Human Movement Sciences, Northern Centre for Healthcare Research, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
MM Schoemaker, PhD, is Associate Professor, Center for Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, PO Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, the Netherlands
BCM Smits-Engelsman, PT, PhD, is Professor, Avans+, University for Professionals, Breda, the Netherlands, and Motor Control Lab, Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Kinesiology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

Address all correspondence to Dr Schoemaker at: m.m.schoemaker{at}rug.nl

Background and Purpose. Physical therapists' teaching skills often are disregarded in research studies. We examined whether the use of different teaching principles during neuromotor task training was associated with treatment effects. Subjects. Nineteen children (mean age=7 years 5 months, range=5–10 years) who had developmental coordination disorder and who performed below the 15th percentile on the age-related Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC) and 11 physical therapists participated in the study. Methods. One intervention session for each child was videotaped. The frequency of the use of principles included in the motor teaching principles taxonomy (Niemeijer et al, 2003) was correlated with changes in motor performance on the M-ABC and the second edition of the Test of Gross Motor Development. Results. Providing clues on how to perform a task, asking children about a task, and explaining why a movement should be executed in a certain way were related to better movement performance. Discussion and Conclusion. Teaching principles may be associated with success in therapeutic situations.

Key Words: Motor control and motor learning • Motor development • Pediatrics • Psychomotor disorders • Rehabilitation

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