The efficacy of two task-orientated interventions for children with Developmental Coordination Disorder: Neuromotor Task Training and Nintendo Wii Fit Training.
Real-world movement drills beat Wii games for most motor gains in kids with DCD, but both help.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team compared two movement programs for children with Developmental Coordination Disorder. One group used Neuromotor Task Training. The other group played Nintendo Wii Fit games.
Kids were tested before and after to see which program helped motor skills, strength, and fitness more.
What they found
Both groups got better at moving, but Neuromotor Task Training won. It gave bigger gains in motor skill, strength, and heart fitness.
Wii Fit still helped. It was the only one that boosted short-burst power.
How this fits with other research
Mombarg et al. (2013) also used Wii training and saw better balance scores. Their study was stricter (randomized trial) and focused only on balance, so the Wii win there does not clash with the current loss on overall motor skill.
EbrahimiSani et al. (2020) switched the console to Xbox Kinect VR and still found medium motor gains for kids with DCD. This pattern shows commercial gaming can help, but real-world movement programs like NTT help more.
Wuang et al. (2011) stretched the idea further, giving Wii play to children with Down syndrome. Again, Wii added benefit, proving the tool is useful across diagnoses when paired with therapy.
Why it matters
If you run motor groups at school or clinic, lead with real-task drills first. Add Wii or Kinect games as a fun extra or reward. You will cover more skill areas and keep kids engaged without extra staff or cost.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Neuromotor Task Training (NTT) and Nintendo Wii Fit Training (Wii training) are both task-based interventions used to improve performance in children with motor coordination problems. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of these two interventions on the motor performance, isometric strength and cardiorespiratory fitness (aerobic and anaerobic capacity) of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) attending mainstream schools in a low-income setting. A pragmatic, quasi-experimental study design was utilized. Children between the ages of 6-10 years, who scored at or below the 16th percentile on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) and whose teacher reported a functional motor problem, were allocated to either NTT (n=37) or Wii training (n=19) groups depending on school of attendance. The MABC-2, a hand-held dynamometer, the Functional Strength Measure, the Muscle Power Sprint Test and the 20m Shuttle Run Test were used to assess performance at baseline and after the intervention. The main findings show that the mean motor performance scores of both groups improved over the study period. However, significant differences in improvement were detected between groups, with the NTT group showing greater improvement in motor performance, functional strength and cardiorespiratory fitness. No improvements in isometric strength were seen in either group. The Wii training group showed significant improvement in anaerobic performance. This study provides evidence to support the use of both the Wii Training and NTT for children with DCD. However, in comparison to Wii training, the NTT approach yields superior results across measures of motor proficiency, cardiorespiratory fitness and functional strength. The decision to use either approach may be influenced by resources and time constraints.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2013 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2013.05.007