Evaluation of the effects of rehabilitation in the area of fine motor skills in children with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities

Background
Intellectual disability (ID) brings numerous difficulties in everyday life. In the current literature, the topic of rehabilitation for these individuals, particularly concerning fine motor skills issues, is neglected.

Aims
The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of rehabilitation on grip strength, coordination, dexterity, and manual functions of the hands in children aged 10-13 years with diagnosed mild and moderate ID, who exhibit problems with fine motor skills.

Material and methods
The study involved 52 individuals with fine motor skill issues, aged between 10 and 13 years. The patients were divided into two groups: I and II, each comprising 26 children (13 boys and 13 girls). Group I included individuals with mild ID, while group II consisted of children with moderate ID. Both groups underwent a three-week rehabilitation program aimed at improving fine motor skills. Each patient was assessed before (assessment I) and after the therapy (assessment II) using the following tools: hand grip strength measurement with a dynamometer, the Box and Blocks test, the Frenchay Arm Test, as well as a self-developed questionnaire.

Results
In group II, for the dominant hand assessed with the Box and Blocks test, the therapy yielded better results for girls compared to boys (p=0.0257). Girls in group II did not significantly improve manual dexterity of the hand, as measured by the Frenchay Arm Test, after the rehabilitation (p=0.0679). In both groups, grip strength increased by approximately 1kg after therapy (p<0.0001)

Conclusions
Patients with mild ID showed significantly better coordination, dexterity, and manual functions of both hands, as well as higher grip strength in the non-dominant limb. The conducted therapy contributed to an improvement in fine motor skills in both groups