The effect of the Bilateral Integration exercise program on the cognitive functioning of pupils with moderate intellectual disabilities

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The effect of the Bilateral Integration exercise program on the cognitive functioning of pupils with moderate intellectual disabilities

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychiatry

Sec. Intellectual Disabilities

Volume 15 – 2024 |
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1409061

Provisionally accepted

  • 1
    Department of Adapted Physical Activity, Poznan University of Physical Education, Poznan, Poland
  • 2
    Calculation Centre, Poznan University of Physical Education, Poznan, Greater Poland, Poland
  • 3
    Faculty of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Greater Poland, Poland

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Children with intellectual disability tend to exhibit lower performance in fundamental movement skills, such as locomotor skills, object control skills, and balance, compared to their typically developing peers. Evidence suggests that physical activity programs tailored for individuals with intellectual disabilities can positively influence the development of their motor skills. Similar to typically developing children, physical activity in children with intellectual disabilities stimulates not only physical development, but also brain function, resulting in cognitive benefits. However, the extent of physical activity’s impact on the cognitive functioning of this population remains insufficiently explored. The aim of our study was to assess the effectiveness of a motor exercise program based on the Bilateral Integration method implemented for pupils with moderate intellectual disabilities.The sample consisted of 27 pupils with moderate intellectual disability (13 in the intervention group and 14 in the control group) from two special schools in Poland. Pupils in the intervention group participated in a modified version of the Bilateral Integration School Program -a 26-week physical activity program that included both individual and group sessions. The assessment of cognitive functioning, using the Fifth Edition of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Subtests, was conducted over three time points in both groups: a pre-test before the intervention (T1), a post-test after the intervention phase end (T2) and a follow-up assessment three months after the post-test (T3).Results: Significant effects of the intervention compared to the control group were observed in certain cognitive variables. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant group-by-time interaction for the Nonverbal Visual-Spatial Processing score, Nonverbal Working Memory score, as well as Verbal Fluid Reasoning.The original program based on the Bilateral Integration method proved effective for pupils with moderate intellectual disability. Preliminary results indicate improvements in cognition, particularly in working memory and visual-spatial processing. Further studies are necessary to assess the program’s efficacy comprehensively.

    Keywords:
    Intellectual Disability, physical activity, bilateral integration activities/ exercises, Executive Function, cognitive development

    Received:
    29 Mar 2024;
    Accepted:
    30 Sep 2024.

    Copyright:
    © 2024 Koper, Lewandowska and Rękosiewicz. This is an
    open-access article distributed under the terms of the
    Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted,
    provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the
    original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted
    academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which
    does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Magdalena Koper, Department of Adapted Physical Activity, Poznan University of Physical Education, Poznan, Poland

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