Motor Skill Performance of Children and Adolescents with Visual Impairments: A Review

Weak evidence was found for three relationships: between the degree of VI and dynamic balance and manual dexterity, between amblyopia/strabismus and fine motor skills, and between movement interventions and motor skill performance.

Abstract

This article reviews studies on variables that are related to the motor skill performance of children and adolescents with visual impairments (VI). Three major groups of variables are considered (child, environmental, and task). Thirty-nine studies are included in this review, 26 of which examined the effects of child, environmental, and/or task variable(s) on motor skill performance and 13 of which reported suggestions by experts about variables related to performance. Weak evidence was found for three relationships: (a) between the degree of VI and dynamic balance and manual dexterity, (b) between amblyopia/strabismus and fine motor skills, and (c) between movement interventions and motor skill performance. In addition, weak evidence was found to refute a relationship between gender and static balance. Further research with reliable and valid measurement instruments and theoretically funded research emphasizing the interaction between a wide range of variables is needed, with specific attention to environmental and task variables.