Thai Elephant ‐Assisted Therapy Programme in Children with Down Syndrome

The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of the Thai Elephant‐Assisted Therapy Programme for children with Down syndrome (DS) (TETP‐D) on balance, postural control and visual motor integration (VMI). A quasi‐experimental design with blind control was used. Sixteen children with DS from grades 1 to 6, in a Thailand, public school were recruited for this study. The participants were divided voluntarily into two groups: control and experimental. These both groups received regular school activities, but the experimental group had added treatment, which consisted of TETP‐D twice a week for 2 months. The balance subtest of the Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency 2, the postural control record form and Beery VMI were applied as outcome measure 1 week before and after the TETP‐D. The results showed no significant difference in balance or postural control. However, a significant difference of VMI was shown between the two groups (z = 13.5, p = .04). Children with DS benefited from the TETP‐D as it improved their VMI. The TETP‐D could improve balance and postural control if provided within a suitable frequency and duration. Further research is needed to test this hypothesis. The limitations of this study are the significant differences in some aspects of the groups at pre‐test such as gender and supine flexion of postural control. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Source: Occupational Therapy International - Category: Occupational Health Authors: Tags: Research Article Source Type: research