Comparing the fundamental movement skill proficiency of children with intellectual disabilities and typically developing children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Kids with ID show a large, across-the-board lag in fundamental movement skills—targeted motor interventions are urgently needed.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Takahashi et al. (2023) pooled every paper they could find on basic movement skills in kids with intellectual disability. They compared these kids to same-age peers without disabilities.
The team looked at five skill areas: running, jumping, throwing, catching, and balance. They used meta-analysis to size the gap.
What they found
Kids with ID lag behind in every area. The average delay is large, about one full standard deviation.
The gap shows up in locomotor skills, object control, and stability alike.
How this fits with other research
Chezan et al. (2019) asked if practice can close the gap. Their review says balance training helps, but we still do not know if it fixes running or ball skills.
Zhang et al. (2021) gave boys with severe ID a full year of semi-structured play. The boys gained real skill, proving the deficit can shrink with long, planned motor work.
Kuang et al. (2025) looked at preschoolers at risk for DCD. These kids also moved worse, yet they were just as active as peers. The finding looks opposite, but the kids were younger and had a different diagnosis. Early motor lag may come before the drop in activity seen later in ID.
Why it matters
Screen every child with ID for FMS delays; the odds are high. Add daily motor blocks that mix balance, locomotor, and object play. Plan for months, not weeks, and track small gains. Use Lei’s year-long model as your minimum dose.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Children around the world, particularly those with intellectual disabilities (ID), are exhibiting poor motor skill proficiency. Compared with typically developing children (TDC), children with intellectual disabilities (CwID) are 65% more likely to exhibit low levels of motor competence. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare the motor skill proficiency levels, in terms of fundamental movement skills (FMS) of CwID to TDC. FMS are the building blocks required for lifelong participation in sport and physical activity. METHOD: The meta-analysis was conducted according to PRISMA statement guidelines. 6 electronic databases were searched and 16, 679 studies were found. A total of 26 studies (total participants n = 3,525) met the inclusion criteria. A multivariate maximum likelihood multivariate random effects model was fitted to the data using the metafor package in R. RESULTS: The study showed that the standardised mean difference (Hedges' g) in FMS between TDC and CwID is large (g = 1.24; CI 95% [.87, 1.62]). Specifically, significant differences between the two groups emerged in all five outcomes: (1) total locomotor score, (2) total object manipulation score, (3) balance, (4) run skill and (5) throw skill. CONCLUSIONS: Further investigation into effective intervention strategies is required in order to reduce the magnitude of difference in motor skill proficiency between the two groups. In addition to developing, implementing and evaluating these interventions, researchers need to work hand in hand with national governing bodies (NGB) of sport and policy makers to ensure that teachers and coaches are being provided with opportunities to upskill in the area of FMS.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2023 · doi:10.1111/jir.13012