ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the effect of gymnastic exercise on sensory integration disorder (SID) in children aged three to six years. Methods:From March to June 2018, 27 children aged three to six years with SID were recruited from Chengdu U-Beller International Children Education Center (Pidu Campus), and were randomly divided into control group (n = 13) and experimental group (n = 14). The experimental group accepted gymnastic exercise, 60 minutes a time, three times a week, for 16 weeks. The control group received no intervention. They were assessed with Assessment Scale for Children Sensory Integration Development, for vestibular dysfunction, tactile defense and proprioception dysfunction. Results:After intervention, the SID improvement was better in the experimental group than in the control group (χ2 > 6.639, P < 0.05), several children with mild disorder returned to normal level, and several with severe disorder returned to mild level. There was no difference in the scores of vestibular dysfunction, tactile defense and proprioception dysfunction before and after intervention in the control group (P > 0.05), and the scores significantly improved in the experimental group (|t| > 7.015, P < 0.01), and was higher in the experimental group than in the control group after intervention (t > 2.193, P < 0.01). Conclusion:Gymnastic exercise can improve vestibular dysfunction, tactile defense and proprioception dysfunction for children with SID aged three to six years.