The effect of physical activity and attention training practices on the motor skills, visual memory, perception and attention levels of students with intellectual disability

the Effect of Physical Activity and Attention Training Practices on The Motor Skills, Visual Memory, Perception and Attention Levels of Students with Intellectual Disability In this study, it was aimed to see the effects of a 14-week physical activity and attention training practice on the motor skills, visual retention, perception and attention levels of students with mild intellectual disability. The sample of the study comprises of 22 students (12 girls, 10 boys) who are between the ages of 7-14 and have mild intellectual disability. The individuals participating in the study were divided into two groups: experimental group (5 girls, 6 boys) and control group (7 girls, 4 boys). The participants in the experimental group were given 40 minutes of attention training and 60 min. of physical activity practices (100 min/2 days/14 weeks). As for the data collection tools, Bruininks-Oseretsky Motor Competence (BOT-2) subtest fine motor precision (FMP), fine motor integration (FMI), manual dexterity (MD), and upper-limb coordination (ULC), Benton Visual Retention (F Form) and d2 Attention tests were used. Measurements were taken three times: before the study, on the 7th week of the practices and at the end of study. During the evaluation of the group and measurements (2x3), Repeated Measures Anova tests were utilized. Where the assumption of globality was not provided (p< 0.05) and the epsilon value was ε> 75; Huynh-Feldt correction was applied. Where the epsilon value was ε< 75; Greenhouse- Geisser correction was used. As the second level test, Bonferroni test was employed. When the group and time interaction was analyzed in the parameters of FMP (p < .001), FMI (p < .001), MD (p < .001), ULC (p < .001), TN (p<0.05), E2 (p<0.05), E (p<0.01), TN-E (p<0.01), and CP (p<0.01), statistical difference was observed. In the parameters of FR and E1, there was not statistical difference (p> 0.05). At the end of study, it was concluded that the 14-week physical activity practices and activity programs intended for developing attention skills had a positive impact on the gross and fine motor skills, visual retention, perception and attention levels of students with mild intellectual disability. Keywords: Attention, Intellectual Disability, Motor Skills, Visual Retention and Perception