Music, body movement, and dance intervention program for children with developmental coordination disorder

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention program, based on music, movement, and dance, aimed at improving motor skills in children at risk of developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Participants comprised 70 primary school children (47 boys/23 girls) aged between 6 and 8 years. Participants were given the Spanish adaptation of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children–Second Edition (MABC-2) to identify difficulties and initially classify into three groups: a group of 17 at risk of DCD who participated in the intervention program (Experimental Group), a group of 18 at risk of DCD who did not participate (Control Group with Risk) and a group of 35 children, with scores higher than the cutoff point (Control Group without Risk). The results show a significant improvement in the motor skills of children who participated in the intervention program, while those in the Control Group showed no significant changes in the second evaluation compared with the first. Likewise, it could be affirmed that this intervention based on group activities involving music, movement, and dance is a very successful blend for motor improvement in children with coordination problems, due to the combination of cognitive stimulation areas and techniques.