Changes of temporospatial orientation in persons with intellectual disabilities who participate in modern dance workshops

Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to identify whether participation in a short series of modern dance (hip-hop) workshops could improve the level of temporospatial orientation in persons with moderate intellectual disabilities. Material and methods: The group consisted of 10 persons aged 14-23 (M=19.5, SD= 2.87). A quasi-experiment was prepared in a one-group plan which consisted of a series of nine modern dance workshops lasting 60 minutes each and held twice a week. The following test layout / testing regime was used: pretest–posttest to check the temporospatial orientation level of dance workshop participants before and after the workshop. A “ball run” spatial orientation test was used in the study. The test was adapted to the cognitive abilities of the subjects. Results: Student’s t-test for dependent samples showed that the mean level of temporospatial orientation in persons with moderate intellectual disabilities before their participation in nine hip-hop dance workshops (M=32.32; SD=3.98) is significantly higher than the mean level of temporospatial orientation (M=29.74; SD=5.45) after completion of workshops, t(9)=2.61; p<0.05 Conclusion: Modern dance (hip-hop) classes improve temporospatial orientation in persons with moderate intellectual disabilities.

The effect of dance workshops participation on reaction time in persons with moderate intellectual disabilities - pilot study

“…They also found that the reaction time in persons with intellectual disabilities is significantly longer than in non-disabled persons, and this may result from the fact that they need more time to plan complex movements. In the study by Szymańska and Wiliński (2020), the temporospatial orientation of persons with moderate intellectual disabilities was improved using hip-hop dance activities.…”

“…It is clear that dance is an appropriate form of physical activity for persons with intellectual disabilities because of its attractiveness and popularity, which can be a motivating factor. This activity combines movement, social interaction and fun, and is also easy to perform because it does not require any special equipment (Szymańska and Wiliński 2020).…”

“…Their direction was indicated by arrows on the floor, which greatly facilitated understanding of commands and orientation in space, and by circles that mark the place that each student was supposed to reach (Figure 1). A decision was made to use this solution because persons with intellectual disabilities have problems with abstract thinking and spatial orientation (Szymańska and Wiliński, 2020). The directions to move /turn right, left, front, and back might not be understood.…”

“…This dance requires extraordinary coordination of movements from dancers. Hip-hop is a very dynamic and lively dance (Szymańska and Wiliński 2020). It includes a large number of dance steps with varying degrees of difficulty thus enabling instructors to adjust the choreography to students' abilities.…”

“…In addition, it appears that boys with intellectual disabilities are more active than girls (Foley et al 2008; Izquierdo-Gomez et al 2014, Phillips and Holland 2011), so it is worth choosing a physical activity that will encourage both girls and boys to participate actively and regularly in motor activities as part of physical education lessons in schools for persons with intellectual disabilities. Special attention should be paid to dance activities because of the outcomes of improved balance, body control, temporospatial orientation and general functionality, which can affect the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities (Gutierrez-Vilahu et al 2016; Teixeira- Machado, Azevedo-Santos, DeSantana 2017; Szymańska and Wiliński 2020). Dance workshops can help develop persons with disabilities, but teaching such students requires adaptation of their motor skills and cognitive abilities.…”