title: A longitudinal study on gross motor development in children with learning disorders.
abstract: This longitudinal study examined the development of gross motor skills, and sex-differences therein, in 7- to 11-years-old children with learning disorders (LD) and compared the results with typically developing children to determine the performance level of children with LD. In children with LD (n=56; 39 boys, 17 girls), gross motor skills were assessed with the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 and measured annually during a 3-year period. Motor scores of 253 typically developing children (125 boys, 112 girls) were collected for references values. The multilevel analyses showed that the ball skills of children with LD improved with age (p<.001), especially between 7 and 9 years, but the locomotor skills did not (p=.50). Boys had higher ball skill scores than girls (p=.002) and these differences were constant over time. Typically developing children outperformed the children with LD on the locomotor skills and ball skills at all ages, except the locomotor skills at age 7. Children with LD develop their ball skills later in the primary school-period compared to typically developing peers. However, 11 year-old children with LD had a lag in locomotor skills and ball skills of at least four and three years, respectively, compared to their peers.
authors: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Human Movement Sciences, Section F, P.O. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.westendorp@umcg.nl.
authors: Marieke
authors: M
authors: Westendorp
authors: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Human Movement Sciences, Section F, P.O. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: e.hartman@umcg.nl.
authors: Esther
authors: E
authors: Hartman
authors: University of Groningen, Department of Special Needs Education and Child Care, Grote Rozenstraat 38, 9712 TJ Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: s.houwen@rug.nl.
authors: Suzanne
authors: S
authors: Houwen
authors: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Human Movement Sciences, Section F, P.O. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: b.c.h.huijgen@umcg.nl.
authors: Barbara C H
authors: BC
authors: Huijgen
authors: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Human Movement Sciences, Section F, P.O. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: j.smith@umcg.nl.
authors: Joanne
authors: J
authors: Smith
authors: University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Center for Human Movement Sciences, Section F, P.O. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: c.visscher@umcg.nl.
authors: Chris
authors: C
authors: Visscher
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Ball skills; Learning disorders; Locomotor skills; Primary-school-age children