Influence of the Microsoft Kinect® games on the motor and functional performance of a child with developmental coordination disorder

Abstract

Introduction: A good motor coordination is essential to children to be able to perform daily activities at school, at home, and in other social environments. However, some children have Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), which makes it difficult to perform these activities. As a new approach, virtual reality is being used in different rehabilitation contexts, with an emphasis on the use of motion-based games. Objective: The aim of this case study was to investigate the influence of the use of Microsoft Kinect® games on the motor and functional performance of an eight years old child with DCD, trained individually. Method: Pre and post-assessment of motor coordination, physical fitness, balance, and functional performance in selected activities were conducted using the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ-Brazil), the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd edition (MABC-2), the Perceived Efficacy and Goal Setting System (PEGS), the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), and the 2-minute walk test. Results: The child presented clinically significant gains in the COPM, increased scores on items related to gross motor skills in the DCDQ-Brazil, as well as improvement in physical conditioning during the intervention, which was not maintained in the post-intervention phase, suggesting that the use of Microsoft Kinect® games should be further explored as therapeutic strategy for children with DCD. Conclusion: The limitations of the case study are discussed as a means to subsidize future studies.