Critique of Article about the Impact that Treadmill Training Had on the Gross Motor Function - Essay Example

?Article Critique Chrysagis, N.; Skordilis, E.K.; Stavrou, N.; Brammatopoulou, E. and Koutsouki, D. (September . “The Effect of Treadmill Training on Gross Motor Function and Walking Speed in Ambulatory Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Am. J. Phys. Med. Rehabil. Vol. 91(9): 747-760. Purpose of the Study The purpose of the study was to identify and assess the impact that treadmill training had or has on the gross motor function (GMF), walking rates and muscle tones of adolescents who were not bedridden while suffering from cerebral palsy. Participants/Subjects The participants/subjects consisted of 22 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 from a school for children suffering from physical maladies. The students were selected from a random population sample and divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. Both groups were subjected to a three month training program which proceeded three times each week. Tests measuring walking speeds, gross motor skills and muscle tone were conducted both prior to and after the program commenced and ended. The control group’s program consisted of treatment and traditional physiotherapy which involved three exercise regiments with balance, gait, mat and “functional gross motor activities” (Chrysagis, et. al., 2012, p. 747). The experimental group’s program consisted of treadmill training without the use of support for body weight and with a “comfortable speed” (Chrysagis, et. al., 2012, p. 747). Findings At the conclusion of the three month program research findings indicated that there were appreciable differences between the experimental group and the control group in terms of GMF and walking speeds. In both cases, the experimental group’s GMF and walking speed scores were greater than those for the control group. There was no significant difference in the muscle tone outcomes between the two groups. Thus results of the study indicate that treadmill training may contribute to an improvement in walking speeds and GFM of ambulatory adolescents with cerebral palsy without having a negative impact on muscle tone. Limitations of the Study The study is limited by the fact that it was conducted among a relatively small population sample. The population sample consisted of only 22 adolescents and when divided into two groups further narrowed the sample down to 11 in each group. The validity of the results among such a small population is further compromised by the fact that the students were selected from the same school. Selecting all students from one facility where they share the same physical education regiment indicates that the results of the study may very well be related to other physical education activities shared by the group at school. The difference in the outcome may have been mere coincidence since the sample sizes were so small. A larger sample population among students from different schools would have made the results more valid. Authors Acknowledge Limitations The authors pointed out limitations of their own. The acknowledged limitations included the observation that the student participants were not tested for muscle strength and endurance and that the results of the test may have been influenced by muscle strength and endurance. The authors also noted that interventions and support during the training program by physical therapists might have contributed to the results of the study as well. Implications The study can be useful to physical education teachers who train ambulatory students with cerebral palsy. It indicates that the treadmill can be a safe alternative for students with cerebral palsy to possibly improve walking speed and GMF, if used with the help of physical therapists or with close supervision. Next Study Based on the results of the study and the limitations reported I would conduct further research on the impact of the treadmill on muscle, tone, strength and endurance, GMF and Walking Speed of adolescents with cerebral palsy. I would use a larger sample population consisting of students from different institutions to increase the validity of outcomes. I would also test for muscle strength and endurance before and after the program to determine the extent to which muscle strength and endurance contributes to any results. The study would therefore be titled: The Impact of Treadmill Training on Muscle Tone, Strength and Endurance, GMF and Walking Speed of Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy. Lieberman, L, J. and Houston-Wilson, C. (2002). “Perceived Barriers to Including Students with Visual Impairments in General Physical Education.” Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, Vol. 19: 364-377. Purpose of the Study The Individuals with Disabilities Act 1997, mandates that children with disabilities are required to have necessarily adapted physical education consistent with their individual needs. Thus the purpose of the study was to identify the barriers from the perspective of teachers who had to include children with vision impairment in their physical education classes. Participants/Subjects The participants consisted of 148 teachers, 52 of which were males and 96 were females. The teachers were all physical education teachers currently teaching in New York and Minnesota and were currently teaching or had taught at least one child with visual impairments. All of the participants had at least a bachelor’s degree in physical education. Teaching experience ranged from one year to 34 years. 111 of the teachers had master’s degrees in physical education pedagogy, adapted physical education as well as special education. The participants participated in five workshops in both New York and Minnesota and completed a questionnaire designed to determine obstacles that physical education teachers are expected to find when visually impaired students are included in their general physical education classes. Findings The most serious perceived obstacles to including children with visual impairment in general physical education were professional preparedness (66%); equipment inadequacy (63%), programming/curriculum (57%) and scheduling (56%). Less than half of the participants perceived that communication, qualified staff, unit pacing, teacher’s fear or being over protective, medial reasons, parent fear and over protectiveness, under-expectations and “teacher apathy” were obstacles to including children with visual impairment in physical education classes (Lieberman & Houston-Wilson, 2002, p. 370). Limitations The main limitation of the study is that the methodology did not allow for open-ended responses. The questionnaire included a list of anticipated obstacles that physical education teachers might perceive with respect to including visually impaired students in their general physical education classes. There may have been other perceived barriers, but the participants were limited to merely selecting the limitations presented in the questionnaire. Author Acknowledge Limitations While the authors did not address limitations of the study, the recommendations for future research reveal what limitations the authors found in their research study. The authors recommended that the study be replicated by the use of other samples therefore indicating that the sample size should be larger. The authors also recommended sending out questionnaires to graduate students and those who educate and train teachers to determine the extent to which they train and prepare physical education student/teachers for including visually impaired students in physical education classes. Thus the authors acknowledge the need for triangulation of the data collected and analysed in their study. Implications The implications of the study are that legislative mandates relative to including students with disabilities in general physical education classes are impractical. Legislative mandates of this kind impose obligations on schools without ensuring that the resources are available for the necessary adaptive measures. For example more than half of the respondents in this study indicated that they were not professionally prepared nor were the equipment adequate. Next Study Drawing on the limitations of this study, I would conduct a longitudinal survey of school districts nationwide identifying the adaptive measures taken for children with disabilities and the source of funding and the extent to which funding is available. This study would be titled: Adaptive Measures for Students with Disabilities for Inclusion in General Physical Education Classes: A Longitudinal Survey. References Chrysagis, N.; Skordilis, E.K.; Stavrou, N.; Brammatopoulou, E. and Koutsouki, D. (September 2012). “The Effect of Treadmill Training on Gross Motor Function and Walking Speed in Ambulatory Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Am. J. Phys. Med. Rehabil. Vol. 91(9): 747-760. Lieberman, L, J. and Houston-Wilson, C. (2002). “Perceived Barriers to Including Students with Visual Impairments in General Physical Education.” Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, Vol. 19: 364-377. Read More