Motor Assessment and Intervention in Individuals with Down Syndrome: Evidence from the Use of the FMS Application
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5902/1984686X94374Keywords:
Adapted Physical Education, Down Syndrome, Fundamental Motor SkillsAbstract
This multiple-case, descriptive-interpretative study with a mixed-methods approach aimed to analyze the use of the Fundamental Motor Skills (FMS) application as a tool to support the assessment and planning of a Physical Activity Program for individuals with Down syndrome (DS). Twenty-two participants aged 9 to 37 years, enrolled in a university extension project, took part in the study. Motor skills were assessed before and after 11 pedagogical interventions using the FMS app, which included 10 fundamental motor skills. The sessions were inspired by various movement modalities, such as dance, team sports, and racket sports. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and Student’s t-test for paired samples, complemented by qualitative records from field diaries. Results indicated significant improvements in five skills, particularly “striking a ball,” as well as meaningful individual progress. Qualitative analyses revealed that playful and culturally meaningful pedagogical strategies enhanced understanding and task performance. The study concludes that the FMS app effectively supported both assessment and pedagogical planning, making testing more accessible and engaging, while methodological and affective adaptations proved essential given the intragroup diversity observed among individuals with DS.
Downloads
References
ALESI, Marianna et al. Gross motor proficiency and intellectual functioning: a comparison among children with Down syndrome, children with borderline intellectual functioning, and typically developing children. Medicine, v.97, n.41, p.127-137, 2018.
ALGHAMDI, Shatha et al. Physical activity among children with down syndrome: maternal perception. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, v. 16, n. 1, p. 1-10, Jan. 2021.
American Psychiatric Association (APA). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). 5th ed. Washington, DC: APA, 2014.
BELEDO, Jesús Flórez; TRONCOSO, Maria Victoria. Síndrome de Down: biologia, desarrollo y educación nuevas perspectivas. Diersen (eds). Editorial Masson, S.A. Barcelona, 1997.
BONOMO, Lívia M.; ROSSETTI, Claudia B. Aspectos percepto-motores e cognitivos do desenvolvimento de crianças com Síndrome de Down. Revista Brasileira de Crescimento e Desenvolvimento Humano, São Paulo, v.20, n.3, p.723-734, 2010.
BRASIL. Série Informação sobre a Síndrome de Down destinada a profissionais de unidades de Saúde. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Assistência à Saúde. Programa Nacional de Atenção à Pessoa Portadora de Deficiência. [s.d.]
BRIDI, Daiane. Teste de Desenvolvimento Motor Grosso - 3 (TGMD-3) com o uso do Aplicativo Gross Motor Skills para crianças com Síndrome de Down: validade e confiabili-dade. 2022. 124f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Ciência do Movimento e Reabilitação) - Centro de Educação Física e Desportos, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, 2022.
BRIDI, Daiane et al. Focused attention and intrinsic motivation using animations for instruction of fundamental motor skills in children with Down syndrome. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. p.1-15, 2024.
CAPIO, Catherine; ROTOR, Esmerita R. Fundamental Movement Skills among Filipino children with Down Syndrome. Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness, v. 8, n. 1, p. 17-24, 2010.
CAPIO, C. M.; SIT, C. P.; EWING, M. E.; MASTERS, R. W. Fundamental movement skills training to promote physical activity in children with and without disability: a pilot study. Journal of Sport and Health Science, v.7, n.2, p.237–244, 2018.
CASE, Layane; YUN, Joonkoo. Video modeling and Test of Gross Motor Development-3 performance among children with autism spectrum disorder. European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity, v. 11, n. 2, p. 9-9, Jan. 2019.
COPETTI, Fernando. et al. Comportamento angular do andar de crianças com Síndrome de Down após intervenção com equoterapia. Revista Brasileira de Fisioterapia, São Carlos, v.11, n.6, p.503-507, 2007.
COPETTI, Fernando; VALENTINI, Nadia Cristina. Fundamental Motor Skills – Habilidades Motoras Fundamentais: Avaliação do Desempenho de Crianças em Habilidades Motoras Fundamentais. Santa Maria: UFSM, 2024. Disponível em: https://repositorio.ufsm.br/handle/1/33349. Acesso em: 10 maio 2025.
DANCEY, C. P.; REIDY, J. Estatística sem matemática para psicologia. 7. ed. Porto Alegre: Penso, 2019.
DEA, Vanessa Dalla; DUARTE, Edison. Síndrome de Down: informações, caminhos e histórias de amor. São Paulo: Phorte editora, 2009.
DUARTE, Edison; COSTA, Leonardo T.; GORLA, José Irineu. Síndrome de Down: conceitos, características e perfil epidemiológico. In: COSTA, L. T.; DUARTE, E.; GORLA, J. I. (Orgs.). Síndrome de Down: crescimento, maturação e atividade física. São Paulo: Phorte, 2017. p. 11-27.
EPSTEIN, Joyce L. TARGET: Task, Authority, Recognition, Grouping, Evaluation, Time – an acronym for classroom structures that promote a mastery-oriented motivational climate. 1988 [apud Ames, 1992; Lüftenegger et al., 2017]
ESPINOSA, Rosa M.; VILA, Mariola M.; GALBIS, Manuel García. Evidences from Clinical Trials in Down Syndrome: diet, exercise and body composition. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, v.17, n.12, p.4294, Jun.2020.
FIELD, A. Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics. 5. ed. London: SAGE Publications, 2013.
GALLAHUE, David L; GOODWAY, Jackie D.; OZMUN, John C. Compreendendo o desenvolvimento motor: bebês, crianças, adolescentes e adultos. 7. ed. Porto Alegre: AMGH, 2013.
HAYWOOD, Kathleen M.; GETCHELL, Nancy. Desenvolvimento motor ao longo da vida. 5. ed. Porto Alegre: Artmed, 2010.
HAYWOOD, Kathleen M.; GETCHELL, Nancy. Life span motor development. 8. ed. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2020.
LESSARD, Michelle Hérbert; GOYETTE, Gabriel; BOUTIN, Gérald. Investigação qualitati-va: fundamentos e práticas. 2 ed. Lisboa: Instituto Piaget, 2005.
MAGILL, R. A.; ANDERSON, D. I. Motor Learning and Control: Concepts and Applica-tions. 12ª ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2020.
MENDONÇA, M. F. S.; PEREIRA, K.; LIMA, F. E. Development of motor skills in children with Down syndrome: influence of hypotonia and postural control. Revista Brasileira de Educação Física e Esporte, v. 33, n. 2, p. 221-230, 2019.
MUSTER, Mey de Abreu van. Abordagens de ensino e práticas inclusivas em Educação Física. In: Mey de Abreu van Munster. Educação Física e Esportes Adaptados. Progra-mas de ensino e subsídios para a inclusão. SP: Manole, 2023. Cap. 1.
NGUYEN, T. Q. et al. Phenotyping Down Syndrome: Discovery and predictive modelling with electronic medical records. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research: [s. l.], v. 68, n. 5, p. 491–511, 2024.
OBRUSNIKOVA, Iva; CAVALIER, Al. The Effects of Videomodeling on Fundamental Motor Skill Performance of Middle School Children with Intellectual Disabilities. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, v. 29, n. 5, p. 757-775, 2017.
PACANARO, Silvia; SANTOS, Acácia Angeli dos; SUEHIRO, Adriana Boulhoça. Avaliação das habilidades cognitiva e viso-motora em pessoas com Síndrome de Down. Revista Brasileira de Educação Especial, Marília, v.14, n.2, p.293-310, 2008.
PALISANO, Robert et al. Gross motor function of children with Down syndrome: creation of motor growth curves. Physical Therapy, Oxford, v.81, n.11, p.1051–1060, 2001.
PUESCHEL, Siegfried M. et al. Atlanto-axial instability in children with Down syndrome. Pediatric Radiology, v. 10, n. 3, p. 129-132, 1981.
PUESCHEL, Siegfried M. Questões Médicas. In: Siegfried M. Pueschel. Síndrome de Down. Guia para pais e educadores. 2 ed. Campinas: Papirus, 1995. p. 85-98.
Síndrome de Down: guia para pais e educadores. Campinas: Papirus, 2002.
RAMOS, João Victor et al. Índice de massa corporal, nutrição e atividade física em crianças e adolescentes com síndrome de Down. Revista de Medicina, v.101, n.4, Jul.2022.
ROBINSON, Leah E et al. The Use of Multimedia Demonstration on the Test of Gross Motor Development–Second Edition: Performance and Participant Preference. Journal of Motor Learning and Development, v. 3, n. 2, p. 110-122, Dez. 2015.
SANTOS, Ana Paula; WEISS, Silvio Indrusiak; ALMEIDA, Geciely de Almeira. Avaliação e intervenção no desenvolvimento motor de uma criança com Síndrome de Down. Revista Brasileira de Educação Especial, Marília, v.16, n.1, p.19-30, 2010.
SASSAKI, Osamu et al. Role of Visual input in Nonlinear Postural Control System. Experimental Brain Research. 147(1): 1-7, 2002.
SAVELSBERGH, Geert J. P. et al. Information movement coupling in children with Down syndrome. In: Elliott D, Weeks D, Chua R (Eds.), Perceptual-Motor Behavior in Down Syndrome. Human Kinetics, London, 2000.
SCHALOCK, R. L. et al. Intellectual Disability: Definition, Classification, and Systems of Supports. 11th ed. Washington, DC: American Association on Intellectual and Develop-mental Disabilities (AAIDD), 2010.
SCHARDONG, Igor; VALENTINI, Nadia; COPETTI, Fernando. Gross motor skills app as a visual support in the assessment of motor performance with the Test of Gross Motor Development – 3. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, Jul., 2025.
SCHWARTZMAN, José. Síndrome de Down. São Paulo: Mackenzie: Memnon, 1999.
SILVA, Maria de Fátima Caldeira; KLEINHANS, Andréia dos Santos. Processos cognitivos e plasticidade cerebral na síndrome de Down. Revisão de literatura. Revista Brasileira de Educação Especial, v. 12, n1, Abr., 2006.
SILVA, Thaiely da. Avaliação motora adaptada para crianças com Síndrome de Down: realidades do seu desempenho motor. 2017. Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso (em Educação Física) – Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 2017.
SPANÒ, Maria et al. Motor and Perceptual-Motor Competence in Children with Down Syndrome: Variation in Performance with Age. European Journal of Paediatric Neurology, 3:7–13, 1999.
STRAPASSON, Aline; BANDEIRA, Marília. Recreação Integrativa para Pessoas com Síndrome de Down: aprendizagens de um projeto de extensão na Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. In: OLIVEIRA, N. C.; JR. VENDITTI, R. (Orgs.). Saúde e Diversi-dade em Foco: abordagens interdisciplinares no atendimento a grupos especiais e pessoas com deficiência. São Carlos: Pedro e João, 2024. p. 89-100.
TAVARES, A. C. L.; SILVA, L. F.; OLIVEIRA, D. R. Motor development in individuals with Down syndrome: characteristics, challenges and possibilities for intervention. Journal of Physical Education and Health, v. 28, n. 3, p. 401-414, 2021.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO). World report on intellectual disabilities. Geneva: WHO, 2022. Disponível em: https://www.who.int/. Acesso em: 29 out. 2025.
VALENTINI, N. C.; LOGHEDO, A. P.; TOIGO, A. M.; NUNES, R. F. Teaching fundamen-tal motor skills to children with disabilities: effects on motor competence and social acceptance. Revista da Educação Física/UEM, v. 26, n. 1, p. 43–52, 2015.
VOLMAN, Marianne J. M. et al. Functional Status in 5- to 7-year-old Children with Down Syndrome in Relation to Motor Mental Ability and Performance. Disabil Rehabil 29:25–31, 2007.
VYGOTSKI, Lev Semionovitch. A formação social da mente. 4 ed.. São Paulo: Livraria Martins fontes Editora, 1984.
WENTZ, Erin E. et al. Promoting participation in physical activity among children and adolescents with Down syndrome. Physical Therapy, v. 101, n. 5, Fev. 2021.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Special Education Magazine
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Declaration of originality
We declare that all articles present in the journal Revista Educação Especial (UFSM) are originals and were not submitted for publishing on any other publication, as a whole or a fraction. We also declare that, after being published by Revista Educação Especial (UFSM), a paper will not be submitted to another journal within two years. After this time, our journal transfers the publishing rights to the authors, with a permit granted by the Editorial Council.
We also acknowledge that the originals’ submission to Revista Educação Especial (UFSM) implies on a transference of copyright for physical and digital publishing to the journal. In case of noncompliance, the violator will receive sanctions and penalties predicted by the Brazilian Copyright Protection Law (n. 9610, dated 19/02/98).
