The Relationship Between Reaction Time and Motor Skills in Children With Pervasive Developmental Disorders

The Relationship Between Reaction Time and Motor Skills in Preschool Children With Pervasive Developmental Disorders

This study examines whether the relationship between reaction time and motor skills differs between children aged 3-6 with pervasive developmental disorders and typically developing peers. It aims to determine the direction and strength of this relationship in children with developmental disorders and compare it with that of typically developing children, thereby providing evidence on how cognitive processing speed and motor performance interact in early childhood under developmental disorder conditions.

This study is designed as a descriptive and comparative investigation aimed at examining differences in motor skills and reaction times between children aged 3-6 diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorders and their typically developing peers. The sample consists of 15 children with pervasive developmental disorders attending special education and rehabilitation centers and 15 typically developing children from the same age group.

No training or intervention program will be implemented; data will be collected through single-session, one-time assessments. To comprehensively evaluate motor skills, the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-Second Edition (PDMS-2), widely regarded as a gold standard in child development assessment, will be used. In addition, participants' reaction times will be measured using the reaction test module of the Catch Pad application, a digital tool frequently utilized in scientific research.In this way, performance components including both general motor skills and response speed will be objectively measured, and differences between the two groups will be scientifically identified.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being between 3 and 6 years of age
• For typically developing children, having no diagnosis of any neurodevelopmental or orthopedic disorder
• Having a diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder made by a child psychiatrist or pediatric neurologist
• Absence of visual, auditory, or motor impairments that would prevent administration of the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 (PDMS-2) and the Catch Pad reaction test
• Having sufficient cognitive ability to understand and follow simple instructions during the assessment

Exclusion Criteria:

• In the typically developing group, having a diagnosis of Attention Deficit -Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or any other neurodevelopmental disorder
• Presence of additional neurological or orthopedic conditions, apart from Pervasive Developmental Disorder, that would interfere with test administration
• Visual or hearing impairments severe enough to prevent test administration
• History of orthopedic trauma or surgery within the last 6 months that could affect motor performance
• Presence of significant behavioral problems