Investigating the Effectiveness of Wearing Weighted Vest in Classroom Context on Motor Skills and Attention in Children With Specific Learning Disorder

Background and Aims This study investigates the impact of sensory stimulation using a weighted vest on motor skills and attention in children with specific learning disabilities in a classroom setting. Methods This semi-experimental study was conducted on 10 children with specific learning disabilities. Convenience sampling was employed, and participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group and a control group using a random number table. Motor skills and attention were measured and recorded using the Bruininks-Oseretsky test of motor proficiency and continuous performance test, respectively, in pre-test and post-test stages. The sensory stimulation intervention involved wearing a weighted vest for three sessions per week, each lasting 45 min, while engaging in classroom tasks under the supervision and guidance of an occupational therapist. Results No significant differences were observed between the mean scores of the two groups after the intervention in fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, and total motor score (P=0.76, P=0.92, and P=0.20, respectively). However, a significant improvement was observed in gross motor skills (P=0.01). Furthermore, there were no significant differences between pre-test and post-test scores of attention in both the intervention and control groups in terms of number of errors, number of correct responses, and reaction time after the intervention (P=0.45, P=0.56, and P=0.42). Conclusion Sensory stimulation using just a weighted vest in the classroom context did not have a significant effect on motor skills and attention, except for gross motor skills. Therefore, using sensory stimulation with a weighted vest alone during classroom tasks may not be effective in improving motor skills and attention in children with specific learning disabilities.