Effects of applying physical activity programs according to type of developmental delay in children

The purpose of this study is to verify the effectiveness of a type-specific physical activity program for developmentally delayed infants on their physical, language, social, and cognitive development, thereby providing basic data to support the holistic development of developmentally delayed infants. To this end, a physical activity program of 40 sessions over 8 weeks was implemented for three children diagnosed with developmental delay attending a daycare center for children with disabilities in J City, Jeollabuk-do Special Self-Governing Province. Pre-, mid-, and post-tests were conducted using teacher observation assessments and developmental assessment tools. The results of this study showed that the physical activity program had an overall positive effect on the development of children with developmental delays, including children with schizoaffective spectrum disorder, attention-deficit disorder, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. These results show that the effect of applying physical activity programs for children with developmental delays is positive overall regardless of the type of developmental delay, and suggest that programs centered on physical activity for children with developmental delays need to be actively implemented in early childhood education settings. In addition, it is necessary to support the linkage between the content and activity methods of physical activity programs for children with developmental delays and the home through parent education.