Parent Perspectives on the Developmental Gains of Individuals with Down Syndrome Participating in Regular Physical Activities
Abstract
The aim of this study is to examine the developmental gains achieved by individuals with Down syndrome in Malatya through regular participation in physical activities, from the perspective of their parents. The study is based on semi-structured interviews conducted with 9 parents (6 females, 3 males) working part-time at Down Cafe in Malatya and participating in physical activities. A qualitative research method was used, and data were collected through a semi-structured interview form and demographic information. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, and descriptive analyses were performed. The data were categorized into six main themes: emotional development, social development, motor development, physical activity development, daily living skills development, and behavior change. The findings indicate that children with Down syndrome who participated in regular physical activities showed increased motivation, positive behavioral changes, improved communication skills, and enhanced motor abilities. Additionally, it was observed that these children engaged in harmonious interactions with their peers, lived according to rules, and supported their development through physical activities. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that regular physical activities significantly improve the social, emotional, and physical development of individuals with Down syndrome and contribute to the enhancement of their daily living skills. Future research should explore the effects of different physical activity programs and involve larger sample groups. Moreover, it is emphasized that physical activities should be more effectively integrated into rehabilitation processes.
Keywords: Down Syndrome, Physical activity, Rehabilitation.
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Ababneh, O. M. A. (2021). How do green HRM practices affect employees’ green behaviors? The role of employee engagement and personality attributes. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 64(7), 1204–1226. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2020.1814708
Aksay, E. (2022). Comparison of motor coordination levels of children with Down syndrome and typically developing children – Germany sample. International Journal of Sport Exercise and Training Sciences (IJSETS), 8(2), 33–44. https://doi.org/10.18826/useeabd.942641
Aksoy, Y. (2020). The effects of physical activities as recreational activities on social communication in children with autism. Gaziantep University Journal of Sports Sciences, 5(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.31680/gaunjss.689747
Albayrak, Ö., & Eliöz, M. (2023). Spor yapma alışkanlığının özel gereksinimli çocukların kognitif becerilerine etkisi. Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 42(1), 1–32. https://doi.org/10.7822/omuefd.1098305
Alesi, M., Giustino, V., Gentile, A., Gómez-López, M., & Battaglia, G. (2022). Motor coordination and global development in subjects with Down syndrome: The influence of physical activity. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 11(17), 5031. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11175031
Barış, B., & Aras Bayram, G. (2020). The relationship between gross motor function level and independence level of preschool children with Down syndrome and their parents' quality of life. Hacettepe University Faculty of Health Sciences Journal, 7(3), 381–393. https://doi.org/10.21020/husbfd.702125
Bastık, C., Erkan, M., & Gümüşdağ, H. (2023). Investigation of the effect of sports on the socialization of physically disabled individuals. SPORMETRE Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 21(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.33689/spormetre.1128586
Bor, M. Ö. (2018). The effect of therapeutic recreational activities on the social development of children with Down syndrome: The example of Elazig province (Master’s thesis). Fırat University, Department of Recreation Management.
Borland, R. L., Cameron, L. A., Tonge, B. J., & Gray, K. M. (2022). Effects of physical activity on behavior and emotional problems, mental health, and psychosocial well-being in children and adolescents with intellectual disability: A systematic review. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 35(2), 399–420. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12961
Channell, M. M., Mattie, L. J., Hamilton, D. R., Capone, G. T., Mahone, E. M., ... & Down Syndrome Cognition Project. (2021). Capturing cognitive and behavioral variability among individuals with Down syndrome: A latent profile analysis. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 13, Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-021-09365-2
Dapp, L. C., Gashaj, V., & Roebers, C. M. (2021). Physical activity and motor skills in children: A differentiated approach. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 54, 101916. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2021.101916
Erdemir, E., & Brutt-Griffler, J. (2020). Vocabulary development through peer interactions in early childhood: A case study of an emergent bilingual child in preschool. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 25(3), 834–865. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2020.1722058
Eren, A., Gec, F., & Calış, D. (2019). A study on visual arts education in children with Down syndrome. Journal of Academic Social Research, 97(7), 178–190. http://doi.org/10.9779/pauefd.1271893
Ferjan Ramírez, N., Lytle, S. R., & Kuhl, P. K. (2020). Parent coaching increases conversational turns and advances infant language development. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(7), 3484–3491. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1921653117
Franco, E., Ocete, C., Pérez-Calzado, E., & Berástegui, A. (2023). Zihinsel engelli kişilerde fiziksel aktivite ve yaşam kalitesi: Cinsiyetin ve uygulama özelliklerinin rolü. Davranış Bilimleri, 13(9), 773. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13090773
Gao, Z., Lee, J. E., McDonough, D. J., & Albers, C. (2020). Virtual reality exercise as a coping strategy for health and wellness promotion in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9(6), 1986. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9061986
Hitchings, R., & Latham, A. (2019). Qualitative methods I: On current conventions in interview research. Progress in Human Geography, 44(2), 389–398. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132519856412
Ilkim, M., Ozoğlu, F., Simsek, E., & Keskin, M. T. (2021). Parents’ evaluation of happiness and self-esteem levels of Down syndrome individuals who participate in regular physical activity and those who do not (The Malatya province example). ROL Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 2(2), 65–71. https://doi.org/10.29228/roljournal.49921
Jung, H. K., Chung, E., & Lee, B. H. (2017). A comparison of the function, activity and participation and quality of life between Down syndrome children and typically developing children. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 29(8), 1377–1380. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.29.1377
Lersilp, S., Putthinoi, S., & Panyo, K. (2016). Fine motor activities program to promote fine motor skills in a case study of Down's syndrome. Global Journal of Health Science, 8(12), 60–67. http://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v8n12p60
Martín-Rodríguez, A., Gostian-Ropotin, L. A., Beltrán-Velasco, A. I., Belando-Pedreño, N., Simón, J. A., López-Mora, C., Navarro-Jiménez, E., Tornero-Aguilera, J. F., & Clemente-Suárez, V. J. (2024). Sporting mind: The interplay of physical activity and psychological health. Sports, 12(1), 37. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports12010037
Onnivello, S., Pulina, F., Locatelli, C., Marcolin, C., Ramacieri, G., Antonaros, F., ... & Lanfranchi, S. (2022). Cognitive profiles in children and adolescents with Down syndrome. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 1936. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05825-4
Romano, M., Kaiser, A., Lounds-Taylor, J., & Woods, J. (2020). Rates of prelinguistic communication and early symbol use in young children with Down syndrome: Using a progress-monitoring tool to model growth. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 29(1), 49–62. https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_AJSLP-19-0016
Sammari, E., & Naceur, A. (2022). The effectiveness of an intervention program for the development of social and emotional capacities of children with a hearing impairment. Psychology, 13(7), 1025–1062. http://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2022.137070
Şenlik, Z. A., Kul, M., Karataş, İ., & Mulhim, M. A. (2017). The effect of physical education and sports lessons on the psychological adaptation levels of children with Down syndrome. International Journal of Cultural and Social Research, 3(2), 263–282.
Tekin, S. S., & Tekin, F. (2021). Activity participation and quality of life with adolescents with Down syndrome. Journal of Exercise Therapy and Rehabilitation, 8(3), 245–253. http://doi.org/10.15437/jetr.840003
Tong, F. (2022). Breaking down: A critical discourse analysis of John Langdon Down’s (1866) classification of people with trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). Critical Discourse Studies, 19(6), 648–666. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405904.2021.1933117
Uygur, E. H., & Aslan, S. (2024). The effects of remote education-based game activities on the motor skills of children with Down syndrome. Pamukkale University Journal of Education Faculty, 61, 214–235. https://doi.org/10.9779/pauefd.1271893
Van der Woude, L. H. V., Houdijk, H. J. P., Janssen, T. W. J., Seves, B., Schelhaas, R., ... & Vegter, R. J. K. (2021). Rehabilitation: Mobility, exercise & sports; a critical position stand on current and future research perspectives. Disability and Rehabilitation, 43(24), 3476–3491. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2020.1806365
Yarımkaya, E., İlhan, E. L., & Gençer, E. (2016). The effect of physical education and sports activities on the psychological adaptation levels of children. Journal of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, 10(1), 141–152.
Yazıcı, M., & Kepenek-Varol, B. (2021). An investigation of physical activity and performance level in children with Down syndrome. Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Health Sciences, 6, 69–77. https://doi.org/10.5336/healthsci.2020-75044
Zimmer, C., McDonough, M. H., Hewson, J., Toohey, A., Din, C., ... & Bennett, E. V. (2021). Experiences with social participation in group physical activity programs for older adults. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 43(4), 335–344. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2020-0335
DOI: https://doi.org/10.53016/jerp.v6i1.262
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
The Journal of Education and Recreation Patterns © 2023 by The Journal of Education and Recreation Patterns is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
