The Impact of Therapeutic Recreational Gymnastic Exercise on Basic Motor Skills of Hearing-Impaired Children Aged between 6 and 9 Years

Purpose: The purpose of the current study is to investigate the impact of therapeutic recreational gymnastic exercises on basic motor skills of hearing-impaired children aged between 6-9 years. Material and Method: 18 students (12 boys; 6 girls) between the ages of 6-9 years participated in the study. 9 of these students were determined as experimental group (3 girls; 6 boys), and the other 9 were determined as control group (3 girls; 6 boys). Before and after the trainings, gross motor development tests (25m. walking, running, jumping, gallop jumping, standing long jump, dribbling, throwing tennis ball, catching the thrown ball, kicking the thrown ball, kicking the still ball) were applied to all the students in the experimental and control group, and the data were recorded. "Special movement training programme" was prepared for the trainings. The trainings were performed for 50-75 minutes twice a week for ten weeks. After the ten-week training programme, gross motor development tests were reapplied to the children as post-test. Analysis: The obtained data were analysed using SPSS.20, and of frequency, arithmetic mean and nonparametric tests, Mann Whitney U test was applied as analysis method and the findings were tabulated. Results and Discussion: As a result of the study, significant developments (p>0,01) were found in gross motor development tests (25 m. walking, jumping, gallop jumping, standing long jump, throwing tennis ball, catching the thrown ball, kicking the still ball) of the children in the control group. Positive developments were not observed in the tests of 25 m. running, standing dribbling, kicking the thrown ball, and no significant developments (p>0,01 ) were observed in children in the control group.