An artistic gymnastics program to promote praxic, cognitive and social skills in children with SLD: a case study

Several studies suggest that physical exercise promotes wellbeing and ameliorate cognitive functioning. Here we investigate whether physical education and sport, such as artistic gymnastic practice improves cognitive, affective and social skills in a nine-year old child with specific learning disorders (SLD). We implemented a motor intervention program articulated in basic artistic gymnastic exercises and evaluated its effectiveness in developing and enhancing the child’s skills and competences. The participant received 32 sessions (2 per weeks) of the motor intervention program over 10 months. Several dependent measures were monitored, such as praxis abilities, cognitive functions and individual engagement. Results showed that the child exhibit increased praxis abilities (in terms of laterality of space movements and balance responses), cognitive functioning (in terms of number of produced motor combinations) and social skills (in terms of motivational engagement). In conclusion, motor intervention programs based on artistic gymnastic are recommended to enhance coordination abilities and social skills in individual affected by learning disabilities.