EARLY MATURATION OF MOTOR-DELAYED CHILDREN AT SCHOOL-AGE

Children underwent motor and sensory testing during each of 3 consecut ive years beginning at kindergarten entrance. Children were assigned t o either a motor-normal or motor-delayed group based on results from t esting during the 1st year of the study. Motor-normal subjects (n = 17 ) had standard scores on a global motor-sensory test that fell within one standard deviation of the mean. Motor-delayed subjects (n = 12) ha d a global motor-sensory test standard score indicating greater than o ne standard deviation of motor delay and, in addition, were delayed by a minimum of one standard deviation on four of five of the motor-sens ory test subtests. At the conclusion of the 3-year study, the mean sta ndard score of the motor-delayed group remained greater than one stand ard deviation below the performance of the motor-normal group as measu red by the global motor-sensory test. Statistical analysis using repea ted measures analysis of variance indicated that the motor-delayed gro up made gains but did not close the gap between themselves and the mot or-normal group during the 3-year study. Group x time interaction effe cts showed that during the study, significant gain was made by the mot or-delayed group on the motor coordination subtest of the motor-sensor y test. The study supports the conclusion that motor-delayed children without early intervention fail to outgrow their motor delays by age 8 years.