The Impact of Therapeutic Recreational Gymnastic Exercise on Basic Motor Skills of Hearing-Impaired Children Aged Between 6 and 9 Years

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 Utest 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.


Introduction
In terms of physical fitness, hearing-impaired children among the disabled are not different from those who have no hearing problem.Some differences based on age and gender were observed in performance (Özer, 2001).Social and emotional development of hearing-impaired children follows a basic pattern, similar to their hearing peers.At earlier ages, the communication difference of hearing-impaired children is not an obstacle for the games with their hearing peers.The can play games together and can develop their friendship (Ataman, 2003).

Relevant Literature
It is an undeniable fact that when disabled individuals are motivated for sports, their process of fitting into society accelerates and at the same time positive developments in their physical and physiological capacities are observed.The problems faced by the disabled do not only belong to them but also to their families, friends and every single individual in the society.There are a number of studies asserting that the static and dynamic balance skills of hearing-impaired children can be affected depending on their age, gender, etiology, and hearing loss degree.The fact that the loss of balances (static and dynamic) is more in hearing-impaired children significantly affects their daily life (Siegel, Marchetti & Tecklin, 1991;Butterfield & Ersing, 1986).The IQ level of most hearing-impaired children are at the same level as general population.Hearing loss impairs speech development of the children.Hearing-impaired children have difficulties in speech and language development and especially in academic skills such as reading and writing.Generally, there is not a cognitive problem.However, a number of factors such as the type and degree of hearing loss; the age of the hearing loss; mental development of the child; the attitudes of the child and people around him/her towards the inability affect arising these problems and their degrees (Diken, 2011).
Hearing-impaired children go through the same developmental process as their hearing peers at the ages of 0-2 years.However, at later ages, delay and inefficiency can be observed in skills related to balance and body coordination due to the defects in auditory canal nerves of hearing-impaired children (Ersoy & Avcı, 2000).It was found in the studies with children aged between 6-10 years that hearing-impaired children were less successful in fine motor skills than their hearing peers (Levis, 1992;Güven & Bal, 1992;Baldemir & Bal, 1995;Darıca & Tanju, 1995;Erdem & Otman, 1996;Bal & Tanju, 1997).What is the purpose of the current study?
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.

Participants and Procedure
18 students (12 boys; 6 girls) between the ages of 6-9 years participated in the study.9 of these students were experimental group (3 girls; 6 boys), and the other 9 were control group (3 girls; 6 boys).Permission was granted for the study by Erzurum Directorate of National Education, the school administrators and the families of the participants.Before the trainings, gross motor development tests (25m.walking, 25m.running, jumping, gallop jumping, standing long jump, standing 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.Volunteer students from the Department of Recreation, Faculty of Sport Sciences, supported the study.These volunteers were chosen from the students who took "Physical Education and Sport for the Disabled", course and "Therapeutic Recreation and Programme Development in Recreation Services" course.After the ten-week training programme, gross motor development tests were reapplied to the children as post-test.

Sports educational games, team work
Training with the educational games specific to the sport branches To be able to play games in pairs and groups, to obey the rules

Data Analyses
The obtained data were analysed using SPSS.20, and frequency, arithmetic mean and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were applied as analysis method and the findings were tabulated.In previous studies about hearing-impaired children, it was asserted that there were developments parallel with the age in running, throwing, hitting and hopping, but there were delays in kicking the ball, leaping, catching and jumping.

Discussion of the Results
Some researchers observed delays in bouncing the ball, catching, kicking the ball, and throwing the ball among the hearing-impaired children.In another study (Winnick & Short, 1985), it was found that motor performance of the hearing-impaired students who went to a school for hearing-impaired children was significantly higher than of those who went to a public school with inclusive education.Exercise programmes prepared for and applied to hearing-impaired children are more effective on improving the vestibular deficits (balance, coordination, etc.) of the children (Rajendran, Roy & Jeevanantham, 2013).
According to general clinical findings, significant motor skills deficits were observed in hearing-impaired children compared to their peers.This rate can reach to 80%.In partially hearing-impaired children, this rate is almost 50 % (Livingstone & Mc Phillips, 2011).

Conclusion and Recommendations
Considering the results of the present study, it can be said that exercise and movement training programmes for hearing-impaired made positive contributions to the motor skills of the children.It is believed that special movement training programmes prepared for hearing-impaired individuals (educational games, various sport activities, mounting climbing and trekking, athletics, etc.) will make a great contribution to psychomotor development of the children.

Table 1 .
Special movement training programme applied in the study

Table 2 .
The age, gender and grades of the participants

Table 3 .
The pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental group

Table 4 .
The pre-test and post-test scores of the control group