Purpose: The purpose of the current study is to investigate the impact of therapeutic recreational gymnastic exercises on basic motor skills of hearing-impaired children aged between 6-9 years.Material and Method: 18 students (12 boys; 6 girls) between the ages of 6-9 years participated in the study. 9 of these students were determined as experimental group (3 girls; 6 boys), and the other 9 were determined as control group (3 girls; 6 boys). Before and after the trainings, gross motor development tests (25m. walking, running, jumping, gallop jumping, standing long jump, dribbling, throwing tennis ball, catching the thrown ball, kicking the thrown ball, kicking the still ball) were applied to all the students in the experimental and control group, and the data were recorded. “Special movement training programme” was prepared for the trainings. The trainings were performed for 50-75 minutes twice a week for ten weeks. After the ten-week training programme, gross motor development tests were reapplied to the children as post-test.Analysis: The obtained data were analysed using SPSS.20, and of frequency, arithmetic mean and nonparametric tests, Mann Whitney U- test was applied as analysis method and the findings were tabulated.Results and Discussion: As a result of the study, significant developments (p>0,01) were found in gross motor development tests (25 m. walking, jumping, gallop jumping, standing long jump, throwing tennis ball, catching the thrown ball, kicking the still ball) of the children in the control group. Positive developments were not observed in the tests of 25 m. running, standing dribbling, kicking the thrown ball, and no significant developments (p>0,01 ) were observed in children in the control group.

Objective: The development of psychomotor skills in individuals with mental disabilities progresses more slowly than their healthy peers. Therefore, it is very important for individuals with mental disabilities to do activities for the development of psychomotor skills. This study aims to examine the effects of hippotherapy training on balance and coordination skills in children with moderate and severe mental disabilities. Materials and Methods: 40 students with moderate and severe mental disabilities, between the ages of 14-20, who continue their education in Erzurum Special Education Practice School, 3rd Grade, participated in the study. The participants were divided into two groups of 20 people as the hippotherapy group (HG) and the control group (CG). Before starting the study, the height and age of all students were recorded, and their body weights were measured with digital scales. Flamingo balance test to measure balance skills, balance board test, touch test to measure coordination skills, T agility test, and Illinois agility test and sit-and-reach test for flexibility skills were applied as a pre-test to the individuals. After the pre-tests were completed, 20 subjects in the hippotherapy group participated in the 20-minute hippotherapy training twice a week for 8 weeks at Atatürk University Hippotherapy and Olympic Equestrian Facilities. The control group did not participate in any application. The final tests of the subjects were carried out in the week after the hippotherapy training was completed. Results: After eight weeks of hippotherapy, there was no significant change in the body composition of the subjects in moderate and severe levels in the hippotherapy group, yet positive significant changes were determined in balance, coordination, and flexibility skills. No significant changes occurred in the subjects in the control group. Conclusion: As a result of the study, it was determined that hippotherapy positively affected balance, coordination, and flexibility skills in individuals with moderate and severe mental disabilities. Keywords: Mental disability, hippotherapy, balance, coordination, flexibility