Evaluation of Catching Skills in Preschoolers With Motor Difficulties

This research project investigates the development of predictive and online motor control in preschool-aged boys with typical development and those with motor difficulties, specifically children at risk for Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). The study is being conducted as part of a doctoral dissertation at the Faculty of Sports Studies, Masaryk University in Brno, in cooperation with the integration and rehabilitation center Lentilka in Pardubice.

The aim of the study is to assess how children plan, initiate, and adjust their movements in response to a dynamic, time-sensitive task-catching a horizontally moving object (pendulum) under two different time constraints. By comparing performance between typically developing children and those identified as being at risk for motor difficulties, the study aims to improve our understanding of motor control development and support the creation of more effective diagnostic and educational strategies.

Participants in this study will be preschool boys from two age groups: 4.6 to 5.0 years and 6.5 to 7.0 years. Each age group will include 10 children with typical motor development and 10 children with motor difficulties, defined as scoring below the 16th percentile on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children - Second Edition (MABC-2). In total, the study aims to recruit 40 participants. Children with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, uncorrected visual impairments, hearing loss, psychiatric or neurological conditions, or significant behavioral or orthopedic problems will be excluded from participation.

Each child will complete two parts of the study protocol. The first involves a standardized motor assessment using the MABC-2, which evaluates both fine and gross motor skills, including tasks such as threading beads, catching, and balance activities. The second part is an experimental task requiring interception of a swinging foam ring attached to a horizontal pendulum. The children will attempt to stop the pendulum at a precise moment under two time conditions: either on its first pass through the target zone (approximately 0.750 seconds after release) or on its second pass (approximately 1.5 seconds after release). The task will be performed using both the dominant and non-dominant hand, with multiple repetitions in each condition.

During the experiment, children will stand on a pressure-sensitive mat (CONFORMat® Tekscan), which records shifts in their center of pressure (COP). Upper limb movement will be captured using reflective markers placed on anatomical landmarks (shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand), and recorded by four video cameras (two sagittal, two frontal). Movement data will be analyzed using Dartfish software.

The study will focus on several key outcome measures: anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) based on COP movement prior to arm motion, spatial accuracy of the stopping movement (angular deviation), trajectory and velocity of COP displacement, timing of movement initiation based on radial styloid marker velocity, joint angles and segmental velocity, and overall smoothness of upper limb motion. All data and recordings will be pseudonymized, securely stored, and used exclusively for research purposes. Recordings will be deleted upon project completion.

This study aims to clarify the developmental trajectory of anticipatory and online motor control strategies in early childhood and to distinguish between typical and atypical motor patterns. The findings are expected to contribute to early screening practices and the development of targeted educational and therapeutic interventions for children with motor coordination difficulties. Ethical approval for the study has been granted by the Research Ethics Committee of Masaryk University. Participation is voluntary, and parents will receive individualized feedback on their child's motor performance after assessment.