Structured Program for Developing the Psychomotor Skills of Institutionalized Children with Special Educational Needs
Daniel Roșu,
Florin Cojanu,
Paul-Florinel Vișan,
Nicoleta Samarescu,
Mariana Augustina Ene,
Raul-Ioan Muntean,
Vasile Emil Ursu
Affiliations
Daniel Roșu
Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sciences, Physical Education and Informatics, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Pitesti University Center, 110040 Pitesti, Romania
Florin Cojanu
Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sciences, Physical Education and Informatics, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Pitesti University Center, 110040 Pitesti, Romania
Paul-Florinel Vișan
Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sciences, Physical Education and Informatics, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Pitesti University Center, 110040 Pitesti, Romania
Nicoleta Samarescu
Department of Educational Science, Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Psychology, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Pitesti University Center, 110040 Pitesti, Romania
Mariana Augustina Ene
Doctoral School Sports Science and Physical Education, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, Pitesti University Center, 110040 Pitesti, Romania
Raul-Ioan Muntean
Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, University “1 Decembrie 1918” of Alba Iulia, 510009 Alba Iulia, Romania
Vasile Emil Ursu
Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, University “1 Decembrie 1918” of Alba Iulia, 510009 Alba Iulia, Romania
Tailoring motor activities to the unique needs of children with special educational requirements has shown considerable efficacy. Our study aimed to develop a structured program specifically designed to enhance psychomotor abilities, focusing on balance and motor–cognitive skills among 28 students (aged 12–14) from two institutional centers in Romania. The program spanned 36 weeks, with biweekly 30 min sessions. Psychomotor skills were assessed through tests measuring balance, speed of movements, and upper limb motor laterality. Initial and final data were collected for evaluation. A statistical analysis, employing the Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Wilcoxon Z tests, compared the assessments. The results indicated significant improvements in movement speed, with a notable increase in stimulus identification (averaging from approximately 13 to 14) (p p p > 0.05) for open-eyed balance and 0.88 (p > 0.05) for closed-eyed balance. Additionally, an analysis of the processing speed in pulses per second showcased a marginal decline, from approximately 0.46 to 0.45, revealing notable disparities between the initial and final measurements (p < 0.05).
