The master's thesis’ aim was to design a 12-week training program for developing balance and coordination for a girl with special needs and to determine the success of the intervention.
The objectives of the master's thesis’ intervention were to: (1) create an appropriate training program with exercises for developing balance and coordination that can be performed at home, (2) check the effects of the intervention on the self-perception of physical self-concept, motor competence and the well-being, (3) check the effects of the intervention on the performance of chosen motor tasks. In the kinesiological-psychological intervention, a 12-year-old girl with deficits in specific areas of learning was involved. She was diagnosed with non-verbal specific learning difficulties or right hemispheric syndrome and developmental coordination disorder or dyspraxia. Motor problems are affected by both diagnoses and also psychosocial problems can occur. Psychosocial problems show as lower self-perception of motor competence, low self-esteem and social withdrawal.
To verify the achievement of the objectives, we used the Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2 (MABC 2), the integration test from the test battery Special Needs Assessment Profile 3 (SNAP-3), various balance and coordination tests adapted to girl’s abilities, a movement quality assessment criteria, Physical Self Description Questionnaire (PSDQ; Marsh), a self-perception of motor competence interview, observations of individual guided training units and an adjusted Scale of well-being Movement for the will (GiVo).
By analysing the results, we found that the girl included in the 12-week intervention program partially improved her balance and coordination. During the intervention the girl's physical self-concept increased, motor competence partially increased, and her well-being partially improved after the training. Progress or partial progress in the observed areas showed that the training program for developing balance and coordination was properly designed, as it offered a challenge and motivation to learn, and progress for the girl. The designed program also raised her physical activity during the intervention. Despite progress in all areas, motor problems have not been eliminated but have been present to a lesser extent.
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