INTEGRATION EXERCISE PROGRAMME FOR CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES WHO HAVE PRESERVED VESTIGIAL PRIMITIVE REFLEXES
Background: The main goal of the research was to determine the usefulness of the Integration exercise programme stimulating development in children with learning difficulties who have preserved vestigial primitive reflexes. Their symptoms included weak motor and visual-motor coordination, lowered visual and auditory analysis and synthesis which resulted in difficulties in reading and writing, disrupted emotional development, psychomotor hyperactivity, weak concentration and other symptoms. Material/ Methods: 104 children with learning difficulties and other accompanying symptoms took part in the experiment. The children were trained in the shape of the Integration exercise programme at school under a therapist’s supervision and additionally at home under parental supervision. The children who went through the whole programme were qualified to the experimental group and those who resigned from the programme after a short period of time – to the control group. A pre-test and a post-test, before and after completion of the Integration exercise programme, was used to evaluate the results. Results: It was found that the Integration exercise programme is useful in therapy involving facilitation of development in children with learning difficulties, who exhibit various symptoms. Almost all the obtained results were statistically significant. The Integration exercise programme is particularly effective in the case of children exhibiting a whole set of symptoms along with learning difficulties, problems with concentration, weak emotion control, weak motor development, abnormal muscle tension, weak motor coordination. Conclusions:The Integration exercise programme widens the range of methods stimulating development and the range of possibilities to apply the therapy practiced in psychology, pedagogy and physiotherapy.