Explore the vast range of titles available.

The validity and reliability of the Test of Gross Motor Development-3 (TGMD-3) were measured, taking into consideration the preference for visual learning of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The TGMD-3 was administered to 14 children with ASD (4–10 years) and 21 age-matched typically developing children under two conditions: TGMD-3 traditional protocol, and TGMD-3 visual support protocol. Excellent levels of internal consistency, test–retest, interrater and intrarater reliability were achieved for the TGMD-3 visual support protocol. TGMD-3 raw scores of children with ASD were significantly lower than typically developing peers, however, significantly improved using the TGMD-3 visual support protocol. This demonstrates that the TGMD-3 visual support protocol is a valid and reliable assessment of gross motor performance for children with ASD.

Infants with Down syndrome (DS) are consistently late walkers. The purpose of this investigation was to test the effects of individualized, progressively more intense treadmill training on developmental outcomes in infants with DS. Thirty infants born with DS were randomly assigned to receive lower-intensity, generalized treadmill training or higher-intensity, individualized training implemented by their parents in their homes. Research staff members monitored implementation of training, physical growth, and onset of motor milestones of all infants on a monthly basis. Infants in the higher-intensity, individualized training group increased their stepping more dramatically over the course of training. Infants in the higher-intensity training group attained most of the motor milestones at an earlier mean age. Treadmill training of infants with DS is an excellent supplement to regularly scheduled physical therapy intervention for the purpose of reducing the delay in the onset of walking.

Infants with Down syndrome (DS) have delayed walking and produce less-coordinated walking patterns. The aim of this study was to investigate whether 2 treadmill interventions would have different influences on the development of joint kinematic patterns in infants with DS. Thirty infants with DS were randomly assigned to a lower-intensity, generalized (LG) treadmill training group (LG group) or a higher-intensity, individualized (HI) treadmill training group (HI group) and trained until walking onset. Twenty-six participants (13 in each group) completed a 1-year gait follow-up assessment. During the gait follow-up assessment, reflective markers were placed bilaterally on the participants to measure the kinematic patterns of the hip, knee, and ankle joints. Both the timing and the magnitude of peak extension and flexion at the hip, knee, and ankle joints, as well as peak adduction and abduction at the hip joint, in the 2 groups were compared. Both the LG group and the HI group showed significantly advanced development of joint kinematics at the gait follow-up. In the HI group, peak ankle plantar flexion occurred at or before toe-off, and the duration of the forward thigh swing after toe-off increased. Joint kinematics in the lower extremities were evaluated in this study. It would be interesting to investigate the effect of treadmill interventions on kinematic patterns in the trunk and arm movement. The timing of peak ankle plantar flexion (before toe-off) in the HI group implies further benefits from the HI intervention; that is, the HI group may use mechanical energy transfer better at the end of stance and may show decreased hip muscle forces and moments during walking. It was concluded that the HI intervention can accelerate the development of joint kinematic patterns in infants with DS within 1 year after walking onset.

People with Down syndrome (DS) display consistent patterns of physical inactivity. If these sedentary behaviors continue over extended periods of time, there will be negative health consequences. The objective of this study was to investigate the physical activity and health-related outcomes of teaching children with DS to ride a 2-wheel bicycle. This study was a randomized intervention in which the control group waited 1 year to receive the intervention. This intervention study was conducted in a community setting. The participants were children who were 8 to 15 years of age and who had been diagnosed with DS. Intervention The participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (bicycle intervention) or a control group (no intervention). Measurements were obtained in the month before the intervention (preintervention), at 7 weeks after the intervention, and at 12 months after the preintervention measurement for all participants. The results indicated no group differences at the preintervention session. Fifty-six percent of the participants in the experimental group successfully learned to ride a 2-wheel bicycle during the 5-day intervention. Analysis showed that participants who learned to ride spent significantly less time in sedentary activity at 12 months after the preintervention measurement and more time in moderate to vigorous physical activity than participants in the control group. Body fat appeared to be positively influenced over time in participants who learned to ride. It is unknown how frequently the children in the experimental group rode their bicycles after the intervention. Most children who are 8 to 15 years of age and who have been diagnosed with DS can learn to ride a 2-wheel bicycle. Learning to ride can reduce time spent in sedentary activity and increase time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity, which may influence the health and functioning of these children.

Children with Down syndrome (DS) often display delayed onset of independent walking. Treadmill training is an effective intervention that leads to an earlier walking onset. In addition, orthoses often are provided to infants with DS to increase stability and promote earlier independent walking. However, this early use of orthoses has not been scientifically verified in infants with DS. The purpose of this study was to provide insight into the developmental outcomes of early orthosis use in combination with treadmill training in infants with DS compared with treadmill training alone. This study was a randomized controlled trial. This study was conducted in participants' homes and in the motor development laboratory. Seventeen infants with DS entered the study when they could pull themselves to a standing position. They were randomly assigned to either a control group (which received treadmill training) or an experimental group (which received treadmill training and orthoses). During monthly visits to the infants' homes, 3 minutes of treadmill stepping was recorded and each child's motor development skills were tested. The treadmill training ended once the child took 3 independent steps. One month following walking onset, developmental tests were readministered. The Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) was used to test motor skill development. The average (SD) time in the study was 268 (88) days for the control group and 206 (109) days for the experimental group. All infants showed significantly increased GMFM scores over time. At 1 month of walking experience, the control group had higher GMFM scores than the experimental group, with higher standing and walking, running, and jumping subscale scores. Limitations of this study included a small sample of convenience, a statistical model that may have reduced validity at the tail end, and a lack of blinding in the GMFM scorer. Orthoses may have a detrimental effect on overall gross motor skill development.

Infants with Down syndrome (DS) represent a population in which new behaviors are acquired significantly more slowly than in nondisabled infants. We propose that infants' spontaneous movements hold a key to understanding the process of development-of integrating intrinsic dynamics and function. In this investigation, we compared the spontaneous leg movements of 10 infants with DS and 2 groups of nondisabled (ND) infants matched for chronological age and motor age. In contrast to common perceptions, we did not observe a significant difference in the frequency of movements between infants with DS and ND infants. But, infants with DS demonstrated significantly fewer of the most complex patterned leg movements, that is, kicking patterns. Further, the frequency with which both DS and ND infants kicked was significantly correlated with the age at which they began to walk. Biomechanical variables were identified, as well, that related to their emergent movement patterns. These data are consistent with Edelman's proposal that spontaneous movements that occur repeatedly in regions of the organism's functional work space facilitate the development of stable behavioral patterns and emphasize the role of the interaction of multiple subsystems in the emergence of new behaviors.

We examined the way in which infants with and without Down syndrome (DS) adapted their intrinsic dynamics, that is, their spontaneous leg movements, to perturbations. Weights totaling 25%, 50%, and 100% of their estimated calf mass were attached to one leg as they sat in an infant seat and moved freely. Particularly at higher weightings, infants in both groups demonstrated bilateral sensitivity and adaptability by increasing activity levels of the unweighted leg relative to the weighted leg. Individual differences in sensitivity thresholds were observed for both groups, but more infants with than without DS demonstrated minimal overt adaptation to the perturbation. We argue that the capacity to respond differentially to the dynamics of movement contexts is necessary for acquiring functional motor skills.

Two cohorts of participants were included to investigate the effects of different treadmill interventions on walking onset and gait patterns in infants with Down syndrome (DS). The first cohort included 30 infants with DS (17 males, 13 females; mean age 10mo [SD 1.9mo]) who were randomly assigned to either a lower‐intensity‐generalized (LG) training group, or a higher‐intensity‐individualized (HI) training group. A control (C) group from another study, who did not receive treadmill training, served as the control (eight males, seven females; mean age 10.4mo [SD 2.2mo]). Mean age at walking onset was 19.2, 21.4, and 23.9 months for the HI, LG, and C groups respectively. At walking onset the HI group was significantly younger than the C group (p=0.011). At the gait follow‐up that was conducted between 1 and 3 months after walking onset, three groups significantly different in overall gait patterns (p=0.037) were examined by six basic gait parameters including average velocity, stride length, step width, stride time, stance time, and dynamic base. Post‐hoc analyses demonstrated that stride length was the gait parameter largely contributing to this overall group difference (p=0.033), and the HI group produced a significantly longer stride length than the C group (p=0.030). In conclusion, the HI treadmill intervention significantly promoted earlier walking onset and elicited more advanced gait patterns (particularly in stride length) in infants with DS.

Self-regulated learning (SRL) and executive functions (EF) are broad concepts stemming from different research areas. They have been defined and modeled in various ways and are repeatedly related to each other in the literature, but so far, no systematic analyses of these relations have been published. Therefore, a systematic analysis of their relationships described in the literature was conducted. Nineteen studies were synthesized concerning different categories (age groups, measurement methods, role of metacognition, relation to achievement, and longitudinal/intervention studies). In general, primarily low to moderate correlational relationships between SRL and EF were reported, with no detectable pattern depending on the age group. Measurement methods used to capture SRL and EF seem to influence the size of the correlations, with indirect measures correlating higher than direct/indirect measures. In addition, there is evidence that metacognition mediates the relationship between EF and SRL. In general, the notion that EF predicts SRL but not vice versa is supported. Following the systematic review, the results are critically discussed in the light of non-generalizable samples, measurement methods, and results interpretation issues. Suggestions for theory building and promising future research are given.