29/07/2026
A bit jargony… but very interesting and emerging research for our kiddos who may have some coordination challenges :)
A 2026 study entitled "The effects of exercise intervention on children with
developmental coordination disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials" yielded some interesting results. The authors do recommend further study due to limitations of study design.
The study examined 3 kinds of motor intervention:
Task-oriented training (TOT): Practice is organized around a functional goal and the therapist manipulates the environment.
Process-oriented training (POT): Focuses on the underlying components thought to be necessary for movement — postural control, sensory processing, specific motor patterns.
Integrated training (IT): Combines both using process-level work within the context of meaningful, task-specific practice.
Clinical takeaways:
*All 3 interventions significantly improved motor function.
*TOT showed largest effect on overall motor function.
*IT was best for balance and manual dexterity functions.
*Aiming and catching was most improved with IT and POT. TOT did not have significant effect on these skills.
Things I'm thinking about:
*Many therapists practice integrated training. Our clients are a homeogenous group with varying sensory and motor differences. They are best served by therapists with multiple skill sets and the clinical reasoning to combine them to support them.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42483389/
