Digital motor intervention effects on motor performance of individuals with developmental disabilities: a systematic review.
Digital games reliably boost gross motor skills in kids and young adults with developmental disabilities.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team hunted for every paper that tested digital movement games for people with developmental or intellectual disabilities. They found thirty studies that used exergaming, virtual reality, or telehealth video coaching.
Kids, teens, and young adults played games like Wii Sports, VR bike rides, and Zoom exercise classes. The review asked one question: do these digital tools help motor skills?
What they found
Across all thirty studies, players got better at moving. Gains ranged from small to large, but every digital tool helped some part of gross motor skill.
Exergaming, VR, and telehealth all worked. No single game stood out; the key was steady, supervised play.
How this fits with other research
Park et al. (2023) ran one of the included trials. Their VR bike game boosted locomotor skills but not ball skills. The review agrees: digital tools help, yet skills stay narrow.
Chezan et al. (2019) reviewed old-style motor drills and saw mixed results. The new review shows digital games give clearer gains, updating the playbook.
Takahashi et al. (2023) proved kids with ID start far behind peers in every motor area. The 2024 review answers that gap with a ready-made tech fix.
Why it matters
You no longer need a gym full of gear. A Wii, a cheap VR headset, or a Zoom call can deliver real motor progress. Pick one goal—balance, jumping, or bike riding—then match the game to that goal. Track data each session; even five-minute blocks add up. Share the game list with parents so practice continues at home.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Individuals (i.e. children/young adults) with developmental disabilities (DDs) and intellectual disabilities (IDs) often display a variety of physical and motor impairments. It is well known that participation in motor activities can positively impact the development of children's cognitive and social skills. Recently, virtual and digital technologies (e.g. video conferencing applications, virtual reality and video gaming) have been increasingly used to promote better physical/motor outcomes. The efficacy of digital technologies in improving motor outcomes for those with DD/ID varies depending on the technology and population, and the comparative effects of various technologies are unknown. The aim of our study is to conduct a systematic review to comprehensively examine the quantitative and qualitative results of current studies reporting the efficacy of digitally based motor interventions on motor outcomes in individuals with DD/ID. METHODS: Literature published from 1900 to 2024 was searched in four health sciences databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus and CINAHL. Articles that examined the effects of gross motor/physical activity training using technologies such as exergaming (i.e. exercise through video gaming such as the Wii and Xbox Kinect), virtual reality or telehealth video conferencing applications (i.e. Zoom, Webex or mobile health apps) on the standardised or game-specific gross motor performance of individuals with DD/ID diagnoses that do not typically experience significant walking challenges using experimental or quasi-experimental study designs were included. Thirty relevant articles were retrieved from a search of the databases PubMed (914), PsycINFO (1201), Scopus (1910) and CINAHL (948). RESULTS: Our quantitative synthesis of this published literature suggests strong and consistent evidence of small-to-large improvements in motor skill performance following digital movement interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Our review supports the use of digital motor interventions to support motor skill performance in individuals with DD without ID. Digital technologies can provide a more engaging option for therapists to promote motor skill development in individuals with DD or for caregivers to use as an adjunct to skilled therapy.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2024 · doi:10.1111/jir.13169