Evaluation of Potential Developmental Precursors to Executive Function in Young Children with Motor Delays: Exploratory Study

DOI

10.3390/bs14121201

Authors

Andrea B. Cunha, Munroe Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA.
Iryna Babik, Department of Psychological Science, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA.
Regina T. Harbourne, Department of Physical Therapy, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, USA.
Stacey C. Dusing, Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
Lin-Ya Hsu, Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
Natalie A. Koziol, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA.
Sarah Westcott-McCoy, Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
Sandra L. Willett, Munroe Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA.
James A. Bovaird, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA.
Michele A. Lobo, Biomechanics & Movement Science Program, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19713, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

12-14-2024

Publication Title

Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)

Volume

14

Issue

12

ISSN

2076-328X

Keywords

child development, executive function, motor delays, object interaction

Abstract

This study aimed to explore whether early developmental abilities are related to future executive function (EF) in children with motor delays. Fourteen children with motor delays (Mean age = 10.76, SD = 2.55) were included from a larger study. Object interaction and developmental outcomes (Bayley-III) were evaluated at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months post-baseline. Bayley-III and EF assessments (Minnesota Executive Function Scale) were conducted at 36 months post-baseline. Children with high EF demonstrated advanced early bimanual, visual-bimanual, receptive language, expressive language, and fine motor skills compared to children with low EF. Significant positive correlations between later Bayley-III and EF scores were found for cognitive, expressive language, and fine motor scores. These preliminary results suggest that early developmental skills support the emergence of EF in children with motor delays.

Open Access

39767342 (pubmed); PMC11673597 (pmc); 10.3390/bs14121201 (doi); bs14121201 (pii)

Preprint

Link to Free Full Text

Repository Citation

Cunha, A. B., Babik, I., Harbourne, R. T., Dusing, S. C., Hsu, L., Koziol, N. A., Westcott-McCoy, S., Willett, S. L., Bovaird, J. A., & Lobo, M. A. (2024). Evaluation of Potential Developmental Precursors to Executive Function in Young Children with Motor Delays: Exploratory Study. Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 14 (12). https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14121201