Addressing Individual Needs with Universal Approaches: Physical Activity, Developmental Delay Status, and Social-Emotional Problems in Early Childhood

The benefits of physical activity during early childhood are well-established, but more research is needed to determine if physical activity interventions are similarly effective among children with developmental support needs. To address this gap, the present study compared behavioral outcomes of 114 preschoolers with and without developmental delays who had participated in a universally designed physical activity program (Mage = 4.07 years, SD = 0.06, 55.3% male, 25.4% with developmental delay). The first aim considered whether time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) varied as a function of program day or developmental delay status. The second aim explored the unique and interactive effects of MVPA engagement (i.e., the difference in time spent in MVPA on program days versus non-program days) and developmental delay status on teacher-reported social-emotional problems at the end of the school year. According to results from a 2 x 2 ANCOVA, the percentage of time children spent in MVPA varied based on program day, over and above all other study variables. Regardless of developmental delay status, MVPA was higher on program days than non-program days. Furthermore, linear regression analyses revealed that there was an interactive effect of MVPA engagement and developmental delay status on emotional control problems, but not peer behavior problems or social-emotional skill deficits. Specifically, the relation between developmental delay status and emotional control problems depended on MVPA engagement. At high levels of MVPA engagement, children with developmental delays experienced more emotional control problems than typically developing children. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrate that universally designed PA interventions have the potential to increase MVPA among children with and without developmental delays. However, increasing MVPA, alone, may be insufficient to address the full range of social-emotional problems among children with developmental delays. Continued research efforts should be employed to further enhance the development of inclusive physical activity interventions during early childhood.