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Body Awareness Training for Motor Skills and Activity Performance in Children With Intellectual Disabilities
Sponsor: Cyprus International University
Summary
We tested whether adding a simple, structured Body Awareness Training (BAT) program to conventional physiotherapy improves motor skills, everyday activity performance, and participation (goal achievement and satisfaction) in children with mild to moderate intellectual disability.41 children aged 8-15 years with mild or moderate intellectual disability completed the study. They were randomly assigned to receive either standard physiotherapy (control) or the same physiotherapy plus Body Awareness Training (intervention).All children received conventional physiotherapy three times per week for six weeks (18 sessions total). The physiotherapy included warm-up, range-of-motion, stretching, strengthening exercises and electrotherapy. The intervention group received an additional 30 minutes per session of Body Awareness Training during the same period. BAT activities were simple, rhythmic, and child-friendly. Both groups improved in some fine motor domains, but improvements were larger in the group that received Body Awareness Training. The BAT group showed additional significant gains in manual dexterity, balance, and running speed/agility that were not observed in the control group. Children in the BAT group reported greater improvements in everyday activity performance and higher satisfaction. The BAT group also achieved better outcomes on individualized functional goals (GAS) for several prioritized activities. Most improvements were maintained at the 10-week follow-up. Adding short, structured Body Awareness Training to routine physiotherapy may provide extra benefits for motor coordination, balance, and meaningful everyday functioning in children with mild-moderate intellectual disability. BAT exercises are low-cost, adaptable, and can be integrated into regular therapy sessions; they may help bridge improvements in motor skills to better performance and participation in daily life. Clinicians should individualize intensity and progression according to each child's abilities and stop or adapt activities if pain, excessive fatigue, or breathlessness occurs.
Official title: Effectiveness of Body Awareness Training on Motor Skills, Activity Performance, and Participation in Children With Intellectual Disabilities: A Randomized Controlled Study
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
8 Years - 15 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
41
Start Date
2025-08-04
Completion Date
2025-12-24
Last Updated
2026-07-27
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Body Awareness Training and Conventional Physiotherapy
This intervention combines a 60-minute conventional physiotherapy protocol (range of motion, stretching, strengthening, and electrotherapy) with a 30-minute structured Body Awareness Training (BAT) module. The BAT component consists of six specific elements: body scanning in the supine position, rhythmic opening/closing coordination exercises, tactile "catwalk" massage for skin-brain connection, standing body alignment practice focused on the vertical midline, weight-transfer activities within stability limits, and breathing-wave integration. The total session duration is 90 minutes, delivered three times per week for six weeks (18 sessions), and is individualized based on the participant's functional capacity and clinical tolerance.
Conventional Physiotherapy
This intervention consists of a 60-minute individualized physiotherapy program including active and active-assisted range of motion (ROM) exercises, static stretching of major muscle groups (held for 20-30 seconds), and functional strengthening exercises (e.g., glute bridges, mini-squats, and step-ups). Electrotherapy is applied as needed for muscle activation or circulatory support. The protocol is delivered three times per week for six weeks (18 sessions total), with exercises progressed from 1 set of 8-10 repetitions to 2 sets of 10-15 repetitions based on the child's performance and fatigue levels.
Locations (1)
Cyprus International University
Mersin, Mersin, Turkey (Türkiye)