The Effect of Short-Term Functional Training Program to Improve Motor Skills in Children with Cerebral Palsy
Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disorder in childhood, which has a significant impact on the development of children's motor skills. The right approach and adequate support in children with CP can achieve significant progress in the development of children's motor skills. This study aims to demonstrate the effects of a short-term functional training program on improving motor skills in children with cerebral palsy (CP).
Materials and methods. The research method used was a true-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group design. A total of 20 male children with spastic CP, aged 10-22 years, were recruited from Sekolah Luar Biasa Tunadaksa Ringan (SLB D) Surakarta and received a six-week functional training program intervention. Data collection involved measuring motor skills, such as hand-eye coordination using a ball throw and catch test with a tennis ball for 60 seconds. Hand muscle strength was evaluated using a Hand Grip Dynamometer. Data analysis was conducted using paired sample t-tests with a significance level of 5%.
Results. The results of the analysis showed a significant difference in muscle strength between the control group without intervention (CGWI) and the functional training intervention group (FTIG) (0.05±0.49 to 5.24±0.89 kg, p=0.001), with a large effect size (Cohen's d = 7.242). Regarding coordination, there was also a significant difference (0.50±1.27 to 6.30±2.11 repetitions, p=0.001) with a large effect size (Cohen's d = 10.531).
Conclusion. Based on these findings, the six-week functional training program showed significant potential for improving motor skills in children with CP.
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