Effects of group-activity intervention with multisensory storytelling on gross motor function and activity participation in children with cerebral palsy

Abstract

This study determined the effectiveness of 16 multisensory storytelling sessions on physical function and activity participation in children with cerebral palsy. Twenty-four children aged 7 to 8 who belonged to stage I to III of the Gross Motor Function Classification System were randomly divided into experimental and control groups, with 12 children in each group. The experimental group performed group activities through multisensory storytelling for 60 min, twice a week for 8 weeks, while the control group performed structured physical activities. The motor function, activity participation, and peer relationship skills were measured. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS 25.0 for windows program, and the significance level (α) for statistical verification was set to 0.05. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed for intragroup changes in motor function and activity participation in the experimental and control groups. The Mann–Whitney U-test was used to compare the difference between the 2 groups. Both groups improved gross motor function (P<0.05) and activity participation (P<0.05). A significant difference between both groups was also measured. Multisensory storytelling resulted in significant improvements in large motor function and activity participation. Therefore, it can be an effective intervention for improving gross motor function and activity participation in children with cerebral palsy.