Effects of mini-basketball training on improving the motor coordination of children with intellectual disabilities and developmental coordination disorders: a randomizedcontrolled trial

Motor coordination (MC) is one of the main components of motor competence. Children with Intellectual disabilities (ID) usually have weaknesses in MC and related components. Therefore, the aim of study was to investigate the effect of mini-basketball training (MBT) versus general physical education programs on improving the motor coordination of children with intellectual disabilities ID. The current study was a semi-experimental and practical research, with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The Participants of this study consisted of 30 boy children with ID (aged 11.53 ± 1.87 years old). Then they were randomly assigned to two groups: control (n = 15) and experimental or MBT (n = 15). A developmental coordination disorder (DCD) questionnaire was used to identify DCD, and the Körperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK) test was used to evaluate MC. The experimental group performed MBT for 45 min, 3 times/week for 8 weeks. The control group only participated in general physical education programs. The data were analyzed by means of 2 × 2 repeated measures ANOVA followed by post hoc comparison (Bonferroni) at the significance level of (P < 0.05). The statistical analysis was done using SPSS, 25. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the MBT (experimental) and control groups in variables of the walking backwards (F = 25.36; P = 0.001; ES = 0.47), vertical hopping (F = 7.15; P = 0.01; ES = 0.20), lateral jumping (F = 26.83; P = 0.001; ES = 0.48), lateral movement (F = 9.77; P = 0.004; ES = 0.25) and overall score of KTK (F = 27.37; P = 0.001; ES = 0.49). The results showed that the use of MBT, which is considered a type of sports game, could improve the global motor coordination of the children with ID and DCD. Based on the results, coaches and therapists are advised to use MBT for improving the MC of this population. No IRCT20190425043370N2 (date of registration on January 10, 2024). registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials.