Therapeutic Play in Children With Mild Intellectual Disability

Overview

The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a designed therapeutic play activities program on improving motor adaptive behavior in a sample of Egyptian children with mild intellectual disabilities. The main question it aims to answer is: What is the effect of therapeutic play activities in improving adaptive motor skills (fine-gap) of children with mild intellectual disability? A quasi-experimental design will be used as researchers will compare therapeutic play exercise program to standard treatment to find its effect on motor adaptive behavior in the selected sample of children with mild intellectual disability Participants will: Take play-based activity program for 24 sessions in 2 months Have a pre- and post-intervention evaluation of motor adaptive behavior by Vineleand Adaptive Behavior Scale II

The research sample consists of twenty children whose ages range between 5 and 9 years of children with mild intellectual disabilities, with intelligence coefficients ranging between 50 and 70 on the Stanford Binet Scale, 5th edition (SB-5). The sample will be divided into two groups: 10 children in the control group and 10 children in the experimental group. Methods For Intervention Experimental group Therapeutic Play Activities program for children with mild intellectual disability The validation of the current research hypotheses required the preparation and design of a program of therapeutic play activities aimed at improving the adaptive motor skills of children with intellectual disabilities. The program consists of 24 sessions of play-based activities that will be applied in 2 months on a day-by-day basis. Therapeutic Play programs include activities that address core strength, bilateral coordination, motor skills, visual skills, body awareness, outdoor sensory activities, vestibular, and balance skills. Activities will be simulated for the child by the therapist to ensure the child understands them. All children will be evaluated by VABSII before and after implementation of the program.