The Effect of Physical Activity on On-Task Behaviors in Developmentally Cognitively Disabled High School Students

Date of Award

Fall 12-20-2018

Document Type

Project (696 or 796 registration)

Degree Name

Master of Science in Special Education

Department

Graduate Studies

Committee Chair

Ximena Suarez-Sousa

Keywords

DCD, High school, on-task behavior, physical activity intervention, Minnesota

Abstract

Abstract

Title: The Effect of Physical Activity on On-Task Behaviors in Developmentally Cognitively Disabled High School Students

Purposed Study:

The purpose of this single-subject study with an ABAB design was to determine the effect of physical activity on the duration of on-task behaviors and use of prompts on two high school students with developmental cognitive disabilities. The thought behind this study was that inclusion of increased, consistent, gross motor activities, would lead to lessened interruptions that detracted from attention and engagement and achievement would be increased. A baseline was established through the application of one session of physical activity per day. Physical activities took place twice each day during the intervention phase of the study through ten minutes of yoga in the morning and twenty minutes of developmental adaptive physical education (DAPE) after lunch. In addition to yoga, the students walked, biked, skated, and played ball games within DAPE. The number of prompts and the duration of the time-on-task for the students were measured during a multitude of functional academic tasks. These tasks included class discussions, listening to books or articles read aloud, and learning games or activities (functional reading, math, and independent living). The prompts required by the students decreased by an average of 27.25%, and the time-on-task increased an average of 37.5% from baseline to intervention.

Abstract only: No full text available.

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