Assessment of the Impact of Gross Motor Coordination Exercises on Perceptual Processes and Praxis in Early School Children with Symptoms of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)

Previous research highlighted the need for therapeutic exercise interventions that support holistic psychomotor development. One condition that particularly benefited from a structured therapeutic approach was Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), also known as Developmental Dyspraxia. A promising method in this context was Bilateral Integration, developed by Sheila Dobie OBE.This experimental study was grounded in electroencephalographic evidence indicating that movements crossing the body’s midline activated brain regions responsible for cognitive and executive functions, as well as somatognosia. Participants were divided into two comparable groups: the experimental group performed exercises involving midline crossing, while the control group engaged in similar exercises without crossing the midline. The study included 32 children (11 girls and 21 boys) aged 6–8 years (M = 6.5; SD = 0.76; CV = 11.72%) who met the inclusion criteria and exhibited symptoms of Developmental Dyspraxia. This age range was selected to minimize the influence of neuronal structural changes and neurohormonal fluctuations associated with puberty. Participants were assessed on visual, kinesthetic, tactile-protopathic, and tactile-epicritic perception, as well as postural, sequential, constructive praxis, praxis on verbal command, and bilateral integration processes. Testing was conducted at three time points: pre-intervention, post-intervention (after six weeks), and follow-up (four weeks later).Initial statistical analysis of pre-intervention questionnaire data revealed significant variability in functional status among participants (coefficient of variation ranging from 23.78% to 67.42%). These findings indicated that the longitudinal design provided valuable insights into which functional domains exhibited the most substantial changes following intervention.Preliminary evidence supported the hypothesis that midline-crossing exercises enhanced cognitive and executive functioning in children with Developmental Dyspraxia. If further validated, the Bilateral Integration method could become a valuable therapeutic tool, promoting early intervention and informing future.