The Motor Skills of Adolescents with Hearing Impairment in a Regular Physical Education Environment

With the exception of balance, adolescents with and without hearing impairment (HI) could have similar motor skills. However, the motor proficiency traits in this age group have not been clearly defined under the same integrated Physical Education (PE) environment. This study compared the gross and fine motor skills of twenty four female adolescents (HI group: n = 7; Hearing group: n = 17; age range: 13-15 years) in a regular school. Non-significant difference was found in overall gross and fine motor skills (p > 0.05). However, the HI group scored significantly poorer in kinaesthetic integration than the Hearing group (p = 0.05). The findings of this study imply poorer balance abilities of adolescents with HI when compared to their hearing peers. Therefore, structured individualised physical activities focusing on balance development in addition to their regular PE lessons are proposed to improve their balance proficiency for better inclusivity.