The purpose of this study was to describe the gross motor and fitness characteristics of children with an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Nineteen children with an ADHD, between the ages of 7 years, 0 months and 12 years, 11 months (M = 9 years, 4 months) participated in this study. The 17 boys and 2 girls had IQs between 80 to 100, were not affected by specific learning disabilities, and behavioral problems were the primary reason for acceptance into their clinical center. Children with additional psychiatric diagnoses were excluded. All children were tested individually. Gross motor performance was measured by the Test of Gross Motor Development (Ulrich, 1985). Fitness variables were measured by selected items from the Canadian Standardized Test of Fitness (1986), the Canada Fitness Survey (1985), the CAHPER Fitness-Performance II Test (1980), and The Twenty Meter Shuttle Run Test (Leger et al., 1984). A counterbalanced Latin-Square testing order was used to avoid practice effects. Statistical analysis involved converting raw scores to percentile scores which were graphed to provide individual and group profiles of performance. The present study identified the physical fitness and gross motor performance of these children as below average. / Programming implications and recommendations for future study are provided.

Previous research has identified motor deficits within the ADHD population, and indicates that these individuals are at an increased risk for difficulties relating to their motor development. The present study, which utilized discriminant function analysis, was unable to document areas of motor impairment for individuals diagnosed with ADHD. Specifically, no evidence of motor impairment was identified on tasks of motor coordination, fine motor dexterity, motor speed and grip strength, which measures the integrity of the motor system at the basic output level. Interestingly, results identified that individuals with ADHD were more proficient in their motor abilities than the normative population. Two mitigating factors were controlled for in this study and were found to impact performance on motor tasks. First, higher level thinking skills such as verbal comprehension, attention control, cognitive sequencing, working memory and executive functions appear to be more responsible for documented performance deficits than an underlying motor deficit. Secondly, the high prevalence of comorbid psychiatric and medical disorders, inherent to the ADHD population, appears to negatively impact performance on motor tasks. In general, individuals with only a diagnosis of ADHD consistently outperformed individuals who had been diagnosed with ADHD and comorbid disorders.This study also examined the sensory and subcortical abilities of individuals with ADHD. Results indicate that these children are similar to their same age peers in their visual perception, visual acuity, auditory discrimination and tactile perception. Finally, this study was unable to identify evidence of impairment in the subcortical abilities of ADHD individuals. In fact, individuals with only a diagnosis of ADHD outperformed the control group across a majority of tasks assessing subcortical abilities. Comorbidity also appears to negatively impact performance on sensory and subcortical tasks, especially for individuals with comorbid medical conditions. Overall, results from this study impact the field of research which previously identified motor performance deficits in the ADHD population. Further research is needed to examine the sensory and motor abilities of ADHD individuals to understand the performance abilities of individuals with ADHD. / Department of Educational Psychology

Access to abstract permanently restricted to Ball State community only / Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only / Department of Educational Psychology

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an integrated adapted physical education setting on the motor performance of preschool children with developmental delays. Subjects in this study participated in segregated and integrated adapted physical education classes. During the integrated conditions, same-age peers without delays participated in activities as "proximity peers" (Jenkins, Speltz & Odom , 1985). Child-directed activities were presented in each class and subjects were observed practicing locomotor and object control skills. The quality of each performance was analyzed to determine the number of critical elements present in the performance and the level of teacher or peer prompt required to initiate and complete each performance. A single subject reversal design (A-B-A-B) was used in this investigation. Four children with developmental delays were filmed within an eight-week school schedule while practicing two fundamental gross motor skills during segregated and integrated conditions. The level and trend of the data was calculated to describe the quality of each child's motor performance within each condition, between conditions, and across segregated and integrated conditions. The results of this study provide evidence that children with developmental delays are able to maintain their level of gross motor skill and independence within an integrated adapted physical education setting. Although day-to- day variability was calculated for each subject, overall skill level remained stable and their level of independence was not compromised in the integrated setting. Recommendations for future research are made based upon the results of this investigation. / Graduation date: 1993

Thesis (MAppSc in Physiotherapy) -- University of South Australia, 1994

Bibliography: leaves 208-219 / x, 219 leaves : ill ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 1992

This thesis describes three boys diagnosed with dyspraxia and their whanau (families and extended families) as they enter and become part of a community gymnastics group in a city in New Zealand. The study builds on literature that has defined dyspraxia in terms of dysfunction, but generally failed to resolve the disorder. Through the social perspective of health and well-being, participation of children and adults with disabilities has been explored in terms of the person and the environments in which they participate; however, the influence activity itself has on participation has not been thoroughly described. There has been a growing interest in the participation of children with disabilities in recreation and leisure activities and this study provides an in depth cultural perspective of such participation in New Zealand context. This study aims to answer the question "What do children with dyspraxia and their whanau do in a gymnastics group, and what does it mean to them to participate?". The overarching question is "What is the culture of a community gymnastics group in which children with dyspraxia participate?". Ethnographic methodology is employed to ensure that the participants' perspectives, including the beliefs, values and meaning that their participation holds is portrayed, while the associated activities and behaviours are also captured. As the boys with dyspraxia and their whanau entered the gym, they built on their previous experiences to make sense of what they needed to do and what meaning the environment held. I had not planned on the boys being integrated with an established group, but on the first night they spontaneously joined in with a noncompetitive, mixed age, boys group. The parents perceived the Club as professional, while the boys were initially intimidated. Fortunately, the equipment, which made the gym look like a playground, enticed the boys to participate. To shift the boys from their initial perception of the gym being a playground, the coaches used two styles of An Ethnography of Children with Dyspraxia Participating in Gymnastics coaching to support and encourage their participation, while suppressing behaviour that did not fit with the norms of the Club. The boys needed to develop gymnastics skills and fit into the group to become gymnasts. The boys succeeded in fitting into the group by both developing skills and adapting their behaviour, while the type of boys without dyspraxia, the style of coaching afforded, the range of equipment and the activity of gymnastics itself meant that some of their initial difficulties were accommodated and they were seen as group members. The participants developed values and beliefs about what the boys participation in the group meant. Having fun and developing confidence and fitness were highlighted, while the social aspects (making friends and the whanau experiences) were also seen as important. The parents and coaches felt that the boys' experiences in gymnastics had an impact on them that would transfer to the world beyond the gym. This study contributes a qualitative perspective on the participation of children with disabilities in a sports occupation, with a focus on the cultural context of their participation.

Thesis (E.D.)--University of Central Florida, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-76).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Indiana University, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.