Background: Dyspraxia, also included under the term Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), is a condition characterised by an impairment in motor skills function which impacts negatively on other aspects of daily living such as athletic capability, handwriting, self-esteem and social interaction. However, no effective therapy currently exists to address all of these issues within this group. The aim of the present study therefore was to investigate whether a complementary therapy, called Fascia Bowen therapy, would improve neuromuscular function and psychological wellbeing in males aged 8-11 (at Primary School) diagnosed with this condition. Methods: A group of 10 participants meeting the criteria of 15th centile or below in motor skills functioning, received a Fascia Bowen therapy treatment session from a qualified Fascia Bowen practitioner each week for 6 weeks. All participants’ motor skills function were assessed by an occupational therapist before and after the end of the intervention using the Motor Skills Assessment Battery for Children test (MABC-2). Additionally, parents, teachers and participants completed questionnaires measuring self-esteem, social skills, social interaction, behaviour and scholastic function before and after the intervention. Results: The participants showed significant improvement in neuromuscular function over time using the MABC-2. However, no significant changes were shown in the other measures of functioning. Although parents did provide some anecdotal reports about positive changes in real life, these were not reflected in the measures. The results suggest that while improvements were shown as significant in the motor domain, which was the focus of the therapy, the results did not translate to other domains of life over time. 13 Conclusions: Further research is necessary to test the efficacy of the treatment’s effects using a larger sample, a control group and a longer intervention timescale. A six week intervention period may not be sufficient to show significant changes in self-esteem, social skills, social interaction, behaviour and scholastic functions which have deep-rooted constructs developed over many years. These may therefore take a long time to change.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:665409 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Morgan-Jones, Melanie |
| Contributors | Ashwin, Christopher |
| Publisher | University of Bath |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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