Development of Spatio-Temporal Orientation of Children with Down Syndrome through Educational Platforms after Romanian Pandemic Lockdown

Abstract

The restrictions due to COVID-19 have left their mark on the education of children with disabilities. Conducting physical therapy classes online was a necessity and at the same time a challenge for both teachers and parents. The purpose of this paper was to investigate spatio-temporal orientation, followed by the design and implementation of stimulation programs for education, by applying multisensory intervention programs conducted online. The study included 27 students with DS and associated conditions. The groups were established according to the kinetic diagnosis, motor and psychomotor disorders of each child. The statistical analysis was quantitative, with a significance level of 95%. The dependent test was used to highlight the significance of the rate of progress achieved by the children. Results obtained for the psychomotor component—spatial orientation registered an increase of 1.81 units, between the initial and the final test. The value of the Student-t test calculated t between the two tests is 6.20 so 6.20 > 2.056 (Table Fischer) and as a result the differences are significant (p < 0.05). Regarding the psychomotor component, for temporal orientation, the results registered an increase of 1.37 units between the initial and the final test. The value of the Student t test calculated between the two tests is 7.68 so 7.68 > 2.056 (Table Fischer), and as a result the differences are significant between the averages of the two tests (p < 0.05). Following the experiment, the results obtained by the subjects, at the final test, were superior to the initial ones, with differences between statistically significant arithmetic averages for all components of the investigated psychomotor ability: spatial orientation and temporal orientation.