Biomedical subjects

S A Cermak

Publications and source records attributed to S A Cermak.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

Fine motor activities in elementary school: preliminary findings and provisional implications for children with fine motor problems.

This study was designed to obtain a detailed picture of the fine motor requirements in regular elementary school classrooms. This knowledge is critical for occupational therapists in working with children with fine motor and handwriting problems who are main-streamed into regular classes. The allocation of time to fine motor activities and the types of fine motor tasks children are expected to perform in elementary school were investigated through the observation of six elementary school classrooms. A written minute-by-minute record of one whole day's activities in each classroom showed that 30% to 60% of the day was allocated to fine motor activities, with writing tasks predominating over other manipulative tasks. Implications for children with fine motor difficulties include the need for modifications to volume of work, types of tasks, and materials.

Apraxias↗

PubMed1991

The validity of the Constructional subtests of the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests.

This study was designed to examine the validity of the Design Copying and Constructional Praxis subtests of the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT) (Ayres, 1989) through an examination of convergent validity and the use of contrast groups. The subjects were 39 children aged 5 to 8 years. Of these children, 21 had learning disabilities and 18, who served as the control group, had no learning disabilities. The subjects were administered the SIPT as well as four other standardized measures of constructional abilities: the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (Beery, 1980), the Block Design subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (Wechsler, 1974), the Primary Visual Motor Test (Haworth, 1970), and the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (Waber & Holmes, 1985). The results indicated that the children with learning disabilities performed significantly more poorly than did the control subjects on both the Design Copying and Constructional Praxis subtests. These two subtests showed moderately high correlations (.46 to .71) with the other tests of constructional abilities when both groups were combined. Correlations were mostly in the moderate range for the children with learning disabilities but were generally not significant for the control sample. The results are discussed in terms of task demands and subject variability.

Child↗

PubMed1990

Integrating motor control and motor learning concepts with neuropsychological perspectives on apraxia and developmental dyspraxia.

This paper reviews selected pertinent literature on the learning and performance of skilled motor acts. Information on normal motor performance is integrated with that on adult apraxia and related to common problems observed in children with developmental dyspraxia. The process of motor skill acquisition is outlined, and aspects of styles of motor organization, modes of control, premovement organization, sensory organization, and analysis of the types of errors are presented. Recommendations for clinicians working with children with developmental dyspraxia are offered.

Apraxias↗

PubMed1990

The relationship between form and space perception, constructional abilities, and clumsiness in children.

The Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT) (Ayres, 1989) were administered to 21 children with learning disabilities and 18 children without learning disabilities, aged 5 to 8 years. The children with learning disabilities were divided into two groups, clumsy and nonclumsy, on the basis of their scores on the Test of Motor Impairment (Stott, Moyes, & Henderson, 1984). It was hypothesized that the learning-disabled children in the clumsy group would score significantly lower than the learning-disabled children in the nonclumsy group on the six SIPT subtests that measure form and space perception and visual construction and that the nonclumsy learning-disabled children, in turn, would score significantly lower than the non-learning-disabled children. It was further hypothesized that there would be a significant correlation between the degree of clumsiness and the degree of visual-perceptual and constructional deficits. An analysis of the data indicated that both groups of learning-disabled children scored lower than the non-learning-disabled children on four of the six SIPT subtests. The clumsy and nonclumsy children with learning disabilities, however, differed from each other on only two subtests. The degree of clumsiness correlated significantly with three of the six subtests. The results are discussed in terms of variations in perceptual and motor skills related to subtypes of learning disabilities.

Child↗

PubMed1990

Praxis on verbal command and imitation.

Nondysfunctional 4-year-old and 6-year-old children were administered the Praxis on Verbal Command subtest of the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT) (Ayres, 1989) under two conditions. One condition was administered in the standardized manner on verbal command; the other involved administration of the same items on imitation. An analysis of variance indicated that the variables of age and condition were significant, whereas sex was not significant. The Age x Condition interaction was also significant. Scheffé multiple comparisons revealed a significant difference between 4-year-olds and 6-year-olds on verbal command but not on imitation. Verbal-command scores were significantly lower than imitation scores for the 4-year-olds but not for the 6-year-olds.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1989

Bilateral motor coordination in 5- to 9-year-old children: a pilot study.

The purpose of this study was to collect normative data on and to assess the clinical usefulness of scales designed to measure the quality of children's ability to perform three bilateral motor coordination tasks: jumping jacks, symmetrical stride jumps, and reciprocal stride jumps. One hundred children, aged 5 to 9 years, were tested according to the scales developed for this study. Results indicated that scores tended to increase with age and that sex differences were not significant. Jumping jacks were found to be the most reliable and the easiest of the three tasks. Reciprocal stride jumps were the most difficult. Quality of performance was assessed, and the number of jumps in a 10-sec trial was recorded for each age. The data from this study may be useful in comparing the performance of children with motor deficits to the performance of normal children of the same age.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1988

Praxis and gesture comprehension in 4-, 5-, and 6-year-olds.

This investigation examined (a) whether the ability to comprehend pantomimed gestures improves with age in young children and whether the ability to point to the actual object precedes the ability to point to a functional associate and (b) whether there is a difference in the ability to comprehend pantomimed gestures between learning-disabled and normal subjects. The Gesture Comprehension Test, the Imitation of Postures test, and the Test for Auditory Comprehension of Language were administered to 68 normal children and 24 learning-disabled children 4 to 6 years of age. Results indicated that gesture comprehension improved with age and that the ability to point to the actual object preceded the ability to point to its functional associate. Boys performed significantly better than girls. There was no significant difference between normal and learning-disabled subjects' ability to comprehend gestures. A moderate correlation was found between the Gesture Comprehension Test and the Test for Auditory Comprehension of Language; a low correlation was found between the Gesture Comprehension Test and the Imitation of Postures test. These results suggest the possibility that in preschool children and young school-age children, gesture comprehension may be more closely related to language than to nonsymbolic aspects of praxis.

Aging↗

PubMed1988

The relationship between visual-perceptual motor abilities and clumsiness in children with and without learning disabilities.

One visual-perceptual test, four visual-motor tests, and a test of motor impairment were administered to 22 children with learning disabilities and 22 children without learning disabilities, aged 5 to 8 years. The children with learning disabilities were divided into two groups--"clumsy" and "nonclumsy"--based on their scores on the motor impairment test. It was hypothesized that the clumsy children with learning disabilities would score significantly lower on visual-perceptual and visual-motor tests than the nonclumsy children with learning disabilities who, in turn, would score significantly lower than the children without learning disabilities. It was further hypothesized that there would be a significant correlation between the degree of clumsiness and the degree of visual-perceptual and visual-motor deficit. Analysis of the data indicated that, as expected, the clumsy children with learning disabilities scored significantly lower than the children without learning disabilities (the control group). There was no significant difference between the clumsy and nonclumsy children with learning disabilities or between the nonclumsy children with learning disabilities and the control group. Degree of clumsiness significantly correlated with scores on four of five tests. Results are discussed in terms of subtypes of learning disabilities and sample size.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1987

Evaluating the visual-perceptual skills of children with cerebral palsy.

The Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills (TVPS) was used to determine if children with cerebral palsy demonstrated problems in visual perception on a motor-free visual perception test. Twenty-four children with cerebral palsy and 24 normal children, all of normal intelligence, were given the TVPS. Results showed that children with cerebral palsy attained significantly lower mean perceptual quotients than did the normal children. The TVPS appears to be a useful tool for the occupational therapist in evaluating visual perception in children with cerebral palsy.

Attention↗

PubMed1987

The performance of learning-disabled and normal young men on the test of visual-perceptual skills.

The present study explored the discriminative validity of the motor-free Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills (TVPS) as an assessment for adults. The subjects were 26 learning-disabled and 26 normal young men. Overall, the subjects with learning disabilities made significantly more errors and took significantly more time on the total TVPS than did the normal subjects. The group with learning disabilities demonstrated significantly lower accuracy scores on four of the seven subtests and longer time scores on five subtests. Discriminant analysis revealed that the time score for Visual Sequential Memory and the accuracy score for Visual Closure were the two subtest scores that best discriminated between groups and, together, were able to correctly classify 84.6% of the subjects. The TVPS total accuracy score for the subjects with learning disabilities significantly correlated with their overall performance IQ but not with their verbal IQ. Their TVPS total accuracy scores also correlated with scores on Block Design, but not with scores on the Object Assembly or Picture Completion subtests of the WAIS-R. The results seem to indicate that the TVPS is valid as an assessment of visual-perceptual functions for young adult subjects. Recommendations for further study were made.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

Body part identification in 1- to 4-year-old children.

The purpose of this study was to examine the sequence in which body parts are learned and can be identified by very young children. The 101 children tested were divided into four age groups: 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, and 4-year-olds. The children were requested to point to 20 body parts on a doll. Analysis of the results indicated significant differences in the ability to identify body parts by age and sex. The greatest increase in scores occurred between the ages of 1 and 2 years, with girls achieving a slightly higher score in each age group. The percentage of subjects at each age who identified different body parts is presented, indicating the sequence in which body parts are learned.

Body Image↗

PubMed1986

Crossing the midline as a function of distance from midline.

This study examined the effect of differential block placement on the frequency of midline crossing during the Space Visualization test (SV) of the Southern California Sensory Integration Tests. The SV test was administered at distances of 0.75, 3.00, and 6.00 inches to a group of 71 normal right-handed boys (ages 5 and 7 years) to obtain the Space Visualization Contralateral Use score (SVCU) and the Space Visualization Contralateral Use Percentage score (SVCU percent). Space Visualization (SV) adjusted scores were also obtained to examine the effect of differential block placement on visual perception scores. The analyses for the SVCU and SVCU percent scores showed that age and distance were significant. Analysis of variance of the SV adjusted standard score indicated that trial, but not distance or age, was significant. There was a significant age-by-trial interaction. The need for a standard protocol for block placement during the administration of the SV test was shown. Future research needs were identified.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1986

The relationship between articulation disorders and motor coordination in children.

This study was designed to examine the relationship between articulation disorders, soft neurological signs, and motor abilities. Fifteen children with articulation problems, as measured by the Templin-Darley Articulation Screening Test and a connected speech sample, were compared with a normal control group (matched for sex and age) on the Quick Neurological Screening Test, the Imitation of Postures test (from the Southern California Sensory Integration Tests), and the 1984 version of the Stott Test of Motor Impairment that has been revised by Henderson. A significant difference was found between the groups on the Motor Impairment Test and the Quick Neurological Screening Test, supporting the hypothesis that the articulation disorder children would have more motor coordination problems and soft neurological signs than the normal children in the control group. There was no between-group difference on the Imitation of Postures test, suggesting that as a group, children with articulation deficits are not dyspraxic. This study supports other research findings stating a relationship between articulation problems and motor impairment, but it also indicates that this motor impairment is not necessarily dyspraxia.

Articulation Disorders↗

PubMed1978

The effect of concurrent manual activity on the dichotic listening performance of boys with learning disabilities.

Three groups of learning-disabled children, defined according to their Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) profiles, and one normal control group, were given both a standard dichotic listening task and a dichotic listening task performed concurrently with a manual tapping task. Learning-disabled children who showed no disparity in their verbal and performance subscale scores on the WISC demonstrated a right ear preference under standard testing and when tapping with the left hand, but not the right, which was nearly the same pattern as that obtained by the control group. Learning-disabled children whose verbal WISC score was at least 15 point lower than their performance demonstrated a right-ear preference only when tapping with their left hand. Finally, learning-disabled children who had high verbal, low performance WISC profiles showed no ear preference under any conditions. These results were interpreted as indicating that these three types of learning-disabled children are differentially lateralized and differentially affected by the facilitory-inhibitory effects of concurrent hemispheric activities.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1976

Community-based learning in occupational therapy.

A community-based field work experience for senior occupational therapy students is described. The program was designed to meet five objectives: to provide students with an effective integration of theory and practice; to allow an application of theoretical concepts to early intervention and prevention programs; to enable students to confront complexities of community service delivery; to allow students to learn new roles in community programs; and to demonstrate the role of occupational therapy within a public health model of service delivery. In addition to these project objectives, placement sites, student roles, and organization of supervision are discussed. Examples are given to illustrate the diversity of student experience. Student and consumer feedback indicated that positive gains had been made toward fulfillment of the project objectives.

Boston↗