Helping and assisting a pupil with a motor deficit through Tera/GIB: a case study

School is an environment in which students actively obtain new abilities in learning, motor skills, social and emotional spheres on a daily basis. These skills enable a greater independence for the students. Motor skills are an important sphere of a child’s development, since children obtain their first learning experience through it. Developmental coordination disorder is an obstacle which interferes with the performance of physical activities. Children with this disorder have to put much more energy and effort into physical activities. Problems appear even with the easiest activities. Furthermore, some deficiencies may also appear in other areas, such as orientation, self-care, using tools, speech, etc. These children feel less successful in school environment where the school curriculum dictates the pace of work. Suitable help and support enable the student to make the most optimal progress and, consequently, a greater independence in life. Special and rehabilitation pedagogues have an important role in this, since they help the students with developmental coordination disorder to improve their motor skills and abilities with an individual approach and work plan. This research focuses on a female first-grade student of primary school that is enrolled in elementary school with adapted curriculum and additional professional support as a child with moderate speech and language disorders. Additionally, the student also has identified developmental coordination disorder. The purpose of the case study was to assess the primary state of the student’s motor skills and abilities, forming a physical activity programme to overcome the deficiencies, and two repeated assessments of motor skills and abilities – the first one immediately after the completion of the programme and the second one at the end of the school year. We were interested in the transformation of the student’s motor skills and abilities after the implementation of the programme. The first grade is a period of fast development for children. For this purpose, we used a control subject in the research. This was a male first-grade student who is also enrolled in elementary school with adapted curriculom and additional professional support as a child with moderate speech and language disorders. Additionally, the student also has identified attention deficit disorder and signs of developmental coordination disorder. With the help of a standardised tool Movement ABC 2 and polygon course backwards exercise form the Sports Educational Chart, we assessed the motor skills and abilities of both students in terms of quality and quantity. After the first testing, the female student’s movement was uncontrolled, imprecise, stiff and uneven. The test results showed that she belongs in the lower 2% based on the skills and abilities of her peers in the movement sphere. The male student had a better result. We determined that he belongs in the lower 25% of his peers. After the third testing both students showed improvement. The female student was placed in the lower 2% even after the third testing. However, the quality of her movement improved. The male student was, after the third testing, placed in the upper 25%. He also improved his quality of movement. We determined that the development of a child affects the improvement. Together with that, a premeditated augmentation of weaker areas also contributes to the advancement