A COMPARISON OF STRUCTURED SENSORIMOTOR THERAPY AND CHILD-CENTERED ACTIVITY IN THE TREATMENT OF PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN WITH SENSORIMOTOR PROBLEMS

This study compared the benefits of a child-centered therapy approach emphasizing child-initiated play interactions within a structured ther apy environment to those of a therapist-directed, structured sensorimo tor therapy approach in 12 preschool children with sensorimotor dysfun ction. Each child received a pretest, 8 weeks of intervention (A or B) provided once weekly for a 1-hr session, a retest, 8 weeks of interve ntion (B or A) provided once weekly, and a final retest. A case study methodology was used to evaluate outcome data. Structured sensorimotor therapy was more useful than child-centered therapy in promoting gros s motor skills, functional abilities (i.e., self-care), and sensory in tegrative functions. Child-centered therapy appeared to promote fine m otor skills better. Although there were no differences in the two ther apies for gains in play, attention, and behavior, variables such as te mperament, attentional abilities, family stress, severity of sensorimo tor delay, and whether the child had received treatment before seemed to affect which therapy was more beneficial for behavior, play, and at tention. The effect of the findings on therapeutic practice is discuss ed.