Physical And Psycho-Social Benefits Of Parental Involvement In Organized Physical Activities For Children With Intellectual Disabilities In Nairobi County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Physical activity (PA) is critical in motor skills development among children with intellectual disability (ID) but inadequate knowledge on the gains of parental involvement (PI) underscores the process. The purpose of the study was to establish the physical and psycho-social benefits of involving parents in an organized PA programme for children with ID of age 4-6 years. Quasi experimental non–equivalent control group research design was adopted for the study. The study targeted children with ID in inclusive Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres and their parents. However, two inclusive ECD centres in Nairobi County that had the highest number of leaners with ID were purposively selected and then randomly assigned into either experimental or control groups. 37 children with ID and their parents met the inclusion and exclusion criteria making a sample size of 74(80.4 %) out of the 92 total targeted population. A total of 64(86.4%) participants successfully completed the three-month PA programme. Test-retest was conducted to determine reliability of research instrument. Parents’ responses were collected using a self-administered questionnaire while an adapted Test of Gross Motor Development (TMGD2) was used to record the observed motor performance of the children and an attendance checklist used to record frequency of attendance. Data was coded and organized using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Results showed that most of the parents involved were female (71.1%) in control group and (100%) female in the experimental group while most children participants were male (85.7%). Independent t-tests showed significant difference after intervention in parents rating of their children’s motor performance in control group t(13)= -3.37, p