Browsing by Author "Roodt, Odelia"

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    The effect of an aquatic or land-based intervention programme on gross motor skills of selected children with Down syndrome
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12) Roodt, Odelia; Africa, Eileen Katherine; Ferreira, Suzanne; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Sport Science
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Children with Down Syndrome (DS) follow a unique pattern of motor development than neuro-typical children in their early years of development. They find it hard to acquire the movement skills that is expected of them and this leads to a possibility of leading a sedentary lifestyle during adolescence and later in life. According to researchers, an intervention program that focus on improving gross motor skills (GMS) can benefit children with DS tremendously. The primary aim of the study was to explore the effect of land and aquatic interventions over a 9-week period in children with DS to improve their GMS. The sample of convenience consisted of participants (N=31) between the age range of seven to 16 years, they were selected from four different schools in Somerset-West, Stellenbosch, Bellville and Mitchell’s Plain. The mentioned schools immediately showed interest in the study. Two schools participated in the land-based and the other two schools in the aquatic-based intervention program. The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2) was used to assess the children’s gross motor skills to determine their strength and weaknesses. The BOT-2 assessed four composites, namely: fine manual control; manual coordination; body coordination; and strength and agility. The pre- and post-tests took two weeks to complete, whereas the aquatic- and land-based interventions were seven weeks long, with two, 40 minute sessions per week. The researcher compared the results of the aquatic and land programs. It was concluded that the land group’s GMS level was higher than the aquatic group at the pre- and post-tests. Both groups improved their overall score with the same amount of points and the researcher could, therefore, speculate that both intervention programs had an influence on their improvement. Both interventions could most likely be implemented at schools with learners that have special learning needs (SLN).