The effect of visual therapy on 7- to 8-year old children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)

Abstract

Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) are heterogeneous regarding underlying problems, which include ocular motor control deficiencies. Poor ocular motor control show relationships with motor coordination problems, which can contribute to academic problems and poor motor skill development needed for successful sport participation. Visual therapy is indicated as a possible way to address poor ocular motor control. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of visual therapy on the DCD status of 7- to 8-year old children. Thirty-two children with a mean age of 95.66 months formed part of the study. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) was used to classify children into the different DCD categories (≤15th percentile), while the Sensory Input Systems Screening Test and Quick Neurological Screening Test II (QNST-II) was used to evaluate ocular motor control. A pre-testpost- test design was used. The 18-week visual therapy was executed once a week for 40 minutes during school hours. The results indicated that the visual therapy contributed to a significantly (p<0.001) improvement on the DCD status of all the children in the intervention group. Visual therapy is therefore recommended for school-age children with DCD who experience poor ocular motor control. It should be given as early as possible to prevent negative long-term effects on academic performance and motor skill development.

Keywords: DCD, Ocular motor control, Visual functioning problems, visual therapy.