The Comparative Study of Gross and Fine Motor Skills and Body Balance in Children with Intellectual Disability, Autism and Learning Disorder with Normal Children

Objective The aim of this study was to compare the motor skills and the body balance in children with special disorders (Intellectual disability (ID), autism and learning disorder (LD)) with normal children (NC). Materials & Methods The present study was a descriptive-comparative (cross-sectional) research. The statistical population were children with special needs in Mashhad out of which 120 children including 30 NC, 30 children with ID, 30 children with autism and 30 with ID (mean age of 7.7 years old) were selected through staged clustered random method. To measure the motor skills of these children, 3 measurement scales were used: gross and fine motor skills measurement scales and body balance skill measurement. The descriptive and analytical statistical indices such as mean, standard deviation, multivariable variance and Manova were used for data analysis. Results There was a meaningful difference in the gross and fine motor skills and body balance skill, (P<0.0001), between the NC and ID, autism and children with ID. Also, children with learning diorder obtained the maximum points in all of the skills and autism children acquired the minimum points. Conclusions According to the findings of the study, motor skills and body balance of children with learning disorder, autism and Intellectual disability is weaker than normal children. This indicates the need for increased education of children with special needs at younger age.