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This article presents a phenomenological study on lived and living conscious experiences of improvisational dance. Six experienced improvisational dancers and one dance piano accompanist were interviewed individually, and shared the past-lived experience of improvisational dance. After the interviews, the six dancers agreed to perform solo improvisational dance, which was video-recorded and immediately followed up by another individual interview to comment on the current living experience, while watching the recorded video. Transcribed interviews were analyzed from an interpretative phenomenological framework, and three major themes were identified: (a) spontaneous-free expression as a definitive theme; (b) inhibitory self-conscious state of mind and emotion; (c) reaching the aspirational level of improvisation in synchronicity. The dancers in this research experienced improvisational dance as a break away from the dynamic tension between freedom and inhibition, guided by images and stimuli. When the dancers reached the aspirational level of improvisation, they felt that the mind and body were united at the individual level, and that the dancers were in harmony with other dancers at the group level. Developmental theories of self-conscious emotions and phenomenological theories of attention and consciousness were used to interpret participants' experiences in developmental journeys towards free, spontaneous expression in synchrony.

Despite the widespread popularity of mindfulness meditation for its various benefits, the mechanism underlying the meditation process has rarely been explored. Here, we present two preliminary studies designed to test alternative hypotheses: whether the effect of brief guided mindfulness meditation on empathic concern arises from verbal suggestion (suggestion hypothesis) or as a byproduct of an induced mindfulness state (mindfulness hypothesis). Study 1 was a pilot randomized control trial of sitting (breath-and-body) meditation vs. compassion meditation that provided preliminary support for the mindfulness hypothesis. Study 2 was set up to rule out the possibility that the meditation effects observed in Study 1 were the effects of repeated measures. An inactive control group of participants underwent the repeated measures of empathic concern with no meditation in between. The pre-post comparison demonstrated no significant changes in the measures. Thus, the results of two studies supported the mindfulness hypothesis. Limitations of the present study and future research directions are discussed., Author(s): Motohide Miyahara [sup.1] , Rebekah Wilson [sup.2] , Tessa Pocock [sup.3] , Tomoko Kano [sup.4] , Hiroyuki Fukuhara [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.257016.7, 0000 0001 0673 6172, Department of [...]

Typical settings of intervention for children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) include home, school, and clinic. Within this current study, we aimed to describe how a concurrent delivery of clinic and home programs for children with DCD would work. Four children with DCD and their families participated in a 10-week trial. All four children had high attendance rates for the clinic sessions. Two of the four families effusively participated in the home program, but the other two families reported difficulties with home practice. The significance of this multiple case report lies in the increased awareness of diverse family needs and capacities to support children with DCD at home. Keywords: Developmental coordination disorder, DCD, intervention, home program, According to the DSM-5 (Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th version) by the American Psychiatric Association (2013), Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is characterised by a significant delay in acquisition [...]

Inclusive physical education (PE) for students with disability (SWD) evolved in line with ethical requirements and stakeholder morality. While inclusive PE is embraced at a conceptual level and desired at the classroom level, the complexity of successful implementation often remains overlooked in policy and curriculum guidelines. Qualitative studies on inclusive PE are generally small-scale, context-specific and limited in applicability to other settings, while current narrative reviews may indiscriminately select qualitative findings. To overcome existing limitations and extend understanding of world-wide teaching and learning experiences within inclusive PE, we conducted qualitative meta-analysis to systematically synthesise primary qualitative findings into secondary interpretations. First, 7 electronic databases were systematically searched to identify peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2016. Of 672 identified records, 12 met pre-set inclusion criteria. Second, an inductive-deductive hybrid analysis approach revealed two major and eight minor themes. Overall, themes indicated physical educators conceptually embraced inclusive PE with a creative outlook for collaboration, knowledge and support. Cooperative and supportive efforts between physical educators, SWD, parents and teacher aides are valued in creating PE environments that effectively respond to learner diversity. While access to practical teaching guidance remains scarce, this study may contribute to physical educator practice.

The concurrent validity of the New Zealand Ministry of Education's Health and Physical Education Assessment (HPEA) (Crooks & Flockton, 1999) was examined with the respective items from the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (Henderson & Sugden, 2000) and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (Bruininks, 1978) on manual dexterity, ball skills and balance skills. Of the 28 items of the HPEA, 7 items were significantly correlated with the established movement skill measures. The low concurrent validity of the HPEA suggests a need for further validation studies. (Contains 2 tables.)

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)/Dyspraxia features a significant delay in lifespan motor development, which limits daily activities and restricts participation. This study aimed to systematically review and comprehensively synthesize the subjective experiences of activity and participation in individuals with DCD/Dyspraxia and their families and service providers to inform decisions and strategy development at practice and policy levels. To locate both published and unpublished studies, the following seven main databases were searched in April 2022: CINAHL, PsyclNFO, MEDLINE, Embase, ERIC, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, SPORTDiscus. A total of 48 studies met the inclusion criteria. Of the 48 studies, 20 studies were appraised as being of high quality and were subsequently used in the meta-aggregation. From the 20 studies, a total of 304 findings were extracted, classified into six categories, and used to generate three synthesized statements on activity and participation at the home and family level, school and peer level, and community level. Our findings indicated that individuals with DCD/Dyspraxia experience the deep and pervasive impacts on activity and participation in individually unique and nuanced contexts. Individualized evaluation of context, increased clinical resources, education and training would facilitate activity and participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Specificity and transfer of learning have been examined in experimental studies. However, their findings may not be relevant to practitioners because of the difference between the experiment conditions and teaching situations. This case study investigates the theoretical issue of specificity vs. transfer of learning by conducting balance training with real-life (functional) tasks and evaluating the teaching outcomes through teaching observation of functional task performance and on the performance of balance tests. Purpose: To describe how a case formulation approach to problem-driven intervention for common balance problems in children can be conducted on the bases of eclectic theories, and to explore the reasons why observed learning outcomes of balance training can be, or can not be reflected on the performance of balance test items. Participants and setting: Two children who met the diagnostic criteria of developmental coordination disorder participated in this study. They were individually taught by student teachers at a teaching and research laboratory for 17 weeks over a 28-week period. Research design: We used a mix-method multiple case study design with two cases to test the alternative hypotheses, specificity vs. transfer of learning by theoretical generalization, in which each case is tested against the hypotheses. Data collection: The effects of balance training were assessed with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) and through teaching observation of functional task performance. Data analysis: The analytical method of pattern matching was used to examine the match between the improvement patterns shown by balance test tasks and real-life balance tasks. Findings: Training resulted in an improvement of the balance skills that corresponded with the sets of tasks and environments employed for the specific balance training in one case. In the other case improved performance occurred not only on the trained balance tasks, but also on the performance test balance tasks in the MABC. Conclusions: Transfer and specificity of learning can be explained by the similarities between teaching tasks and test items, the directions of transfers, and the possible contributions of non-balance factors. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

The abilities to identify threat and learn about affect in facial photographs were compared between a non-autistic university student group (NUS), a matched Asperger's group (MAS) on the Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM), and an unmatched Asperger's group (UAS) who scored lower on the SPM. Participants were given pairs of faces and asked which person looked more dangerous. In addition, they engaged in explicit learning of the facial affect features. This study indicated (a) that the ability to identify threat in faces was intact in the MAS group, but poor in the UAS group; (b) a graded degree of performance in facial affect recognition (NUS greater than MAS greater than UAS); (c) that all groups improved their facial affect recognition after the brief explicit teaching intervention. This pilot study obtained first indications for the feasible assessment of the ability to distinguish threat in faces and potential remediation effects of the brief explicit teaching of facial emotions for young people with Asperger's disorder. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)

This study used a choice reaction-time paradigm to test the perceived impairment of facial affect recognition in Asperger's disorder. Twenty teenagers with Asperger's disorder and 20 controls were compared with respect to the latency and accuracy of response to happy or disgusted facial expressions, presented in cartoon or real images and in static or moving conditions. Group analysis revealed that the Asperger group did not differ significantly from the control group in speed and accuracy for both affects and in all presentation modalities. Individual analysis, however, revealed that the proportion of participants exhibiting a happy face advantage was smaller in the Asperger group than in the control group. The results did not support the notion of impairment in facial affect recognition in terms of speed and accuracy in Asperger's disorder. Findings also revealed that the absence of happy face advantage was more prevalent in individuals with Asperger's disorder.

The authors investigated past and present physical activities of 6 older individuals with diverse types of visual impairment who participated in a walking group. The authors identified the participants' lived experiences of visual impairment and physical activity through interviews and assessed their current activity levels by using pedometers. Visual impairment hindered physical activity for some participants, whereas others were more active after becoming visually impaired. The walking group served the participants as a peer support group, offering members opportunities to meet and share experiences with other visually impaired people and encouraging some participants to pursue community-based activities and mainstream sport competitions. Individual activity levels tended to be higher on the days and weeks in which the walking group met. The authors gained insight into the interaction of personal and situational factors and offer suggestions for further research into the benefits of walking groups. (Contains 6 figures.)

A survey examined perceptions of 125 professionals and parents of developmental dyspraxia (DD), developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and clumsy child syndrome (CCS). DD is perceived as severe, complex, serious, and technical, whereas CCS is perceived as mild, simple, weak, humorous, and nontechnical. DD and DCD are regarded as more positive and objective. (Author/CR)

A study compared the motor coordination of 26 Japanese children (ages 6-15) with Asperger syndrome and 14 with learning disabilities using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children. Although no relationship was found between intellectual and motor function, both groups demonstrated motor delay. Children with autism had poorer ball skills. (CR)

The teaching process and outcome in a skill theme program and a movement concepts program were described and analyzed in seven children with developmental coordination disorder. It was hypothesized that the skill theme program would improve targeted skills and perceived physical competence, whereas the movement concepts program would improve self-esteem and creativity. The seven children were taught individually by the same student teachers twice a week for a period of five weeks in one of the teaching methods. After a vacation, the teachers changed their teaching strategies and taught the same children using the alternative method. Although the hypothesis was generally supported, the children's response to and progress in the programs varied. Possible factors influencing the variation were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose was to compare quad rugby male athletes with a lesion-matched group of persons without quad rugby experience on self-efficacy expectations for performing quad rugby skills (SEQRS) and activities of daily living (SEADL) skills. Each group contained 15 participants. The experimental design was ex post facto. Mann-Whitney U Tests revealed that quad rugby participants scored significantly higher on all 11 items comprising the SEQRS and 4 of the 28 items comprising SEADL. Correlations between SEQRS and SEADL were .75 and .92 for the QR participants and nonparticipants, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]