The Effects of a Neurobehavioral Intervention on Motor Skill Acquisition and Generalization

Abstract

This study reports the effects of a neurobehavioral intervention approach on the motor skills of 4 young children with cerebral palsy. The intervention is a hybrid of behavioral and neuromotor and approaches. The behavioral approach used principles of “how to teach” by addressing motivational issues and precise definitions of expected outcomes. The neuromotor approach specified “what to teach” by focusing on underlying movement components. The impact of the approach was assessed with a multiple baseline design. Children demonstrated generalization of the movement component by using it to perform both a treated exemplar skill and an untreated exemplar skill. The study extends previous findings by demonstrating that motor skills can be treated concurrently, thus enhancing the efficiency of the intervention.