Title and Abstract
This paper is about a consort evaluation on a randomized control trial done to compare the furniture configurations in the printing performance of young children with cerebral palsy in two schools. The randomized control trial aimed at comparing the effects of furniture configuaration on printing legibility among young children in the two schools. Notably, numerous methods were used in the trial to get desired sample for participants, collect and analyse data. Needless to say, approximately 30 children with cerebral palsy ranging from the ages of 6 to 11 years were used as a sample to reperesent the entire population. Moreover, samples of commercial furnitures with different cofigurations were picked within the two schools in order to assess how they influenced the quality of legibility on young children with cerebral palsy. Different approaches were employed in order to evaluate the outcomes, avoid bias and base the results on concrete evidence. Definitely, results obtained from the trial research were analysed and consclusions made.
Introduction
Research has shown that handwriting is one of the crucial aspects in develioping language skills (Feder & Majnemer, 2007). This apsect is learnt in elementary schools while the child is still at a tender age of growth and development. It is estimated that more than 30% of young children have handwritting dificulties even after they complete their grade one education (Ryan, Rigby & Campbell, 2009). Additionally, 15% of these children persist with the problem upto grade 5. Nevertheless, this situation is triggered by motor impairements that result into cereblral palsy. Notably, this condition affects the cognitive, sensual and perceptual development of a child making him or her to become more susceptible to handwritting problems. Therefore, there is need to conduct a randomized control trial among schools in order to identify how confuiguration of furnitures affects legibility of young children. The rationale behinnd this trial research it to enable people to come up with remedies and implement strategies that are likely to assist young children with handwritting problems (Ryan, Rigby & Campbell, 2009). The main objective for the trial was to compare the same-session effects on furniture configuration on printing legibility in the two schools. The hypothesis guiding the research was the assumption that young children of grade 1 immediately gain printing legibility when they use speciality furnitures in schools as opposed to suboptimal or standard furnitures.
Methods
Participants or the target poppulation in the trial were randomly selected. Young children at the ages of 6-11 who had celebral palcy were included in the participant sample (Ryan, Rigby & Campbell, 2009). Needless to say, all the ethical prospects were adhered to before the trial commenced. Permission for the trial was isssued by the Research Ethics Board. Notably, children with acute disorders such as hyperactivity and aother attention deficit impairements were excluded in the sample. A sample population of 30 children were examined and results were noted down. The trial of eligible participants were done on a seating research laboratory. Furnitures of different configurations were selected and participants were to seat on them. Pointless to say, the furnitures used had standard instructions from the manufacturers that were adhered to during the trial.Participants were allowed to sit in differnt positions depending on the furniture configurations (Ryan, Rigby & Campbell, 2009). Printing legibility was assessed as therapists directed the participants to write sets of sampled words. Of essence to note is that each participant was given equal durations for the tests.There was a 10 minutes break after which the participants commenced on the next test. After the break, adjustments were made on the furnitures configurations. Completed manuscripts with handwritting samples were submitted after one hour test.
Results
By the end of the test, it was discovered that 11 participants used their left hand to wite while the rest used their right hand. Nevertheless, there was no clear statistical evidence to show whether there was imediate changes of printing legibility with the change in furniture configuration in the two schools (Ryan, Rigby & Campbell, 2009). It is anticipated that due to therapeutic intervention, changes in printing legibility were not distinct. In this case, among the four categories of quality writting , there was no evidence of change. This implied that there was no notable change on the forms of handwrittings such as overlaps or absence of gaps. Additionally, there was no significant change noted on the spacing of words and letters even after the configuration of the furnitures was altered. Needless to mention, despite the fact that all the participants had cerebral palsy, their alighnment of letters to the baseline and size of letters were immeasurably okay in all the tests done.
Discussion
There was no identifiable evidence to support the trial hypothesis. In this case, it is arguable that though children depict problems in printing legibility, this cannot be attributed to the kind of furnitures they use. In this case, it is certain that the effect of furniture configuratiion on printing legibility is minute. Therefore, there is need to carry out an advanced research in order to understand how difference in legibility occurs. Additionally, there is need to come up with a relevant clinical magnitude of measuring legibility (Ryan, Rigby & Campbell, 2009). Notably, it was not easy to spot differences in order to come up with mean values for the printing legibility indicators such as letter size, form, spacing and alignment. However, it is reasonably beyond doubt that speciality of furnitures improves postural stability for young children with ambulatory celebral pulsy though no larger effects were detected in the trial (Feder & Majnemer, 2007). This study was subject to limitations since there is a likelihood that intervention by therapists was biased even though they followed the trial protocol. Therefore, this calls for a comprehensive study with a larger sample before concrete conclusions are made. However, researchers are recommended to use randomized control trial designs to further explore on the factors that affect printing legibility in children.
References
Feder, K. & Majnemer, A. (2007). Handwriting development, competency, and intervention. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 49, 312–317.
Ryan, S., Rigby, J. & Campbell, A. (2010). Research Article: Randomised controlled trial comparing two school furniture configurations in the printing performance of young children with cerebral palsy. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 57, 239–245