Effects of a highly intensive balance therapy camp in children with developmental coordination disorder - An intervention protocol.
A detailed 40-hour balance-camp plan for 6-12-year-olds with DCD is ready to copy, but outcome data are still pending.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Velghe et al. (2024) wrote a plan for a 40-hour balance camp. The camp runs five days, eight hours each day.
Kids aged 6 to 12 with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) will play games on wobble boards, trampolines, and soft mats. Trained staff watch every move.
The team will test balance, postural control, and how well kids join PE class before and after camp. No results are ready yet.
What they found
This paper is only a recipe. No kids have finished the camp yet, so no scores are reported.
The authors say the full data will come later. Watch for their next paper.
How this fits with other research
Zur et al. (2013) showed that more than half of kids with mild IDD have hidden inner-ear balance problems. Silke’s camp may help the same hidden problem in DCD.
Villarroya et al. (2013) tried whole-body vibration with teens who have Down syndrome. Vibration gave a tiny balance boost only when eyes were closed. Silke uses fun balance games instead of vibration, so gains may spread to real play time.
Enoch et al. (2019) ran a summer ACT camp for neurotypical kids and saw medium jumps in flexible thinking. Silke copies the summer-camp shape but swaps ACT drills for balance games, aiming for motor gains in DCD.
Why it matters
You now have a ready-made camp plan if you serve school-age kids with DCD. Borrow the 40-hour schedule, game list, and test battery while we wait for outcome data. Track balance, postural sway, and class participation the same way so your numbers can stack onto theirs later.
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Join Free →Download the open-access protocol, pick one camp game (e.g., wobble-board treasure hunt), and add it to your next session as a 10-minute warm-up.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) often (<87 %) experience postural control problems, impacting all levels of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) including their daily participation, self-esteem and mental health. Due to the multisystemic nature of postural control, comprehensive therapy should target all systems which is currently not the case. Highly intensive therapy is effective and commonly used in pediatric populations, but has not been explored yet to train postural control in children with DCD. AIMS: To investigate the effects of a highly intensive functional balance therapy camp at all ICF levels in children with DCD. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The effects on postural control, muscle activity, brain alterations, self-perceived competence, self-identified goals, gross motor activities and participation are evaluated. Participants are assessed pre- and post-intervention, including a 3 months follow-up. Forty-eight children with DCD, aged 6-12 years old, receive 40 h of comprehensive balance training. This intervention is fun, individually tailored, targets all postural control systems, implements different motor learning strategies and includes both individual and group activities. CONCLUSION: Novel insights into the effects of a highly intensive comprehensive balance therapy camp designed for children with DCD will be gained at all levels of the ICF.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2024 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104694