Development of Cognitive Skills in Children with Motor Coordination Impairments at 12-Month Follow-up |
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Authors: | Eva Michel Marianne Roethlisberger Regula Neuenschwander Claudia M Roebers |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Psychology IV , University of Wuerzburg , Germany eva.michel@uni-wuerzburg.de;3. Department of Developmental Psychology , University of Bern , Switzerland |
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Abstract: | The current study presents a 1-year follow-up investigation of the development of executive functions (i.e., inhibition, updating, and shifting) in children with motor coordination impairments. Cognitive and motor coordination skills of children (N = 94) aged between 5 and 7 years with and without motor coordination impairments were compared. A second focus of the study was on pre-academic skills. The results indicate marked stability of motor coordination impairments and persistent executive functioning deficits in motor-impaired children. Inhibition and shifting performance was consistently lower, compared to the children without motor coordination impairments. Moreover, children with motor coordination impairments showed lower pre-academic skills, facing a substantial disadvantage at the beginning of formal schooling. The combined cognitive and motor problems may be the result of an underlying inhibition deficit or a general automation deficit. Implications for intervention are discussed. |
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Keywords: | Children Cognitive development Executive functions Developmental coordination disorder Motor processes |
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