The ability to adjust movements in response to perturbations is key for an efficient and mature nervous system, which relies on two complementary mechanisms -- feedforward adaptation and feedback control. We examined the developmental trajectory of how children employ these two mechanisms using a previously validated visuomotor rotation task,…

Purpose: The aim of this study was to pilot the efficacy of rapid syllable transition (ReST) treatment when provided once per week for a 50-min treatment session for 12 weeks with five children with childhood apraxia of speech. Of central importance was the children's retention and generalization of gains from treatment as indicators of speech…

Enhancing executive function in children and adolescents can have significant positive impact on their current and future daily lives. Upregulation of executive function associated with motor skill acquisition suggests that motor learning scenarios provide valuable developmental opportunities to optimize executive function. The present systematic…

Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe changes in speech intelligibility and interrater and intrarater reliability of naive listeners' ratings of words produced by young children diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) over a period of motor-based intervention (dynamic temporal and tactile cueing [DTTC]). Method: A total of 120…

A sample of 144 s- and 150 fourth-grade Chinese children was recruited to investigate the influence of body-object interactions (BOIs) on word recognition, i.e., how easily they could interact physically with each word's referent. The moderation on this relationship of children's screen time for entertainment purposes (i.e., the viewing or use of…

Many autistic children show musical interests and good musical skills including pitch and melodic memory. Autistic children may also perceive temporal regularities in music such as the primary beat underlying the rhythmic structure of music given some work showing preserved rhythm processing in the context of basic, nonverbal auditory stimuli. The…

Efficient recognition of geometric shapes is an important aspect of proficiency in geometry. Building theoretically on the cultural-historical approach enriched by the physiology of activity, we investigate theoretical perception in geometry--the ability to recognize conceptual geometric aspects of visual figures. Aiming to understand the…

Background: Chewing dysfunction can have adverse effects on growth, development and quality of life. There is a lack of evidence-based consensus guidelines for sensorimotor intervention. To address this, we need to understand the current state of the science in clinical sensorimotor interventions for paediatric chewing dysfunction and…

Purpose: Speech motor skill is refined over the course of practice, which is commonly reflected by increased accuracy and consistency. This research examined the relationship between auditory-perceptual ratings of word accuracy and measures of speech motor timing and variability at pre- and posttreatment in children with childhood apraxia of…

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) impacts the quality of life and ability to perform coordinated actions in 5% of school-aged children. The quality of body representations of individuals with DCD has been questioned, but never assessed. We hypothesize that children with DCD have imprecise body representations in the sensory and motor…

Background: Perceptual motor development is crucial during early childhood and not properly addressing it in physical education (PE) can be detrimental. Aim: To determine the effect of a South African curriculum-aligned PE intervention on the visual-motor integration (VMI), visual perception (VP) and motor coordination (MC) of 6-year-old children.…

Purpose: This study examines how ultrasound biofeedback and intensive treatment distribution affect speech sound generalization during an evidence-based treatment, Speech Motor Chaining, for children with persisting speech errors associated with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Method: In a 2 × 2 factorial randomized controlled trial, children…

The principles of motor learning have been applied in neurological rehabilitation for years. The underlying assumption is that these principles that have been identified in research on healthy individuals would also apply to those with neurological disorders, making them highly relevant for rehabilitation. However, there is currently no tool…

Handwriting and spelling deficits are common struggles experienced by children with specific learning disabilities (SLD), but there is little evidence on interventions that target these areas for children with SLD. To systematically review the research investigating the effectiveness of handwriting and spelling interventions for children with SLD.…

Abundant behavioral studies have demonstrated high comorbidity of reading and handwriting difficulties in developmental dyslexia (DD), a neurological condition characterized by unexpectedly low reading ability despite adequate nonverbal intelligence and typical schooling. The neural correlates of handwriting deficits remain largely unknown;…