Designing a Perceptual-Motor Training Package and Evaluating its Effectiveness on Motor Skills of Children with Visual Impairment during COVID-19 Epidemic

Abstract

Aims Confirmed and suspected cases of COVID-19 are spreading in Iran and the world. The overwhelming demand for the COVID-19 outbreak has challenged healthcare workers, the medical procurement system, and sports professionals. This study aimed to design and implement a perceptual-motor training package and determine its effectiveness on motor skills of children with visual impairment during the Coronavirus epidemic. Materials & Methods A quasi-experimental study was performed on a population of 6 to 11 years old children with visual impairment in Yazd province in the summer of 2020. Thirty-six children with blindness and low vision from the counseling centers of Yazd province were selected by cluster sampling method and randomly divided into two groups of experimental (n=18) and control (n=18). In order to measure motor proficiency, the abbreviated form of the Bruininks-Oseretsky motor proficiency test was used. In designing and compiling the perceptual-motor training package, 17 educational games were organized using library studies and the experiences of executive experts. The experimental group was trained in 24 sessions of 60 minutes. Analysis of covariance in SPSS 22 software was used to analyze the data. Findings In all subscales of agility, balance, running speed, strength, motor coordination, response speed, and visual-motor control, a significant difference was observed between the experimental and control groups after the educational intervention (p≤0.01). Conclusion Perceptual-motor training package is effective on motor skills of children with visual impairment. Copyright © 2020, ASPI Ins.