Animal Fun Program and Kinesthetic Development in Down Syndrome

Effects of Animal Fun Program on Kinesthesia in Children With Down Syndrome

The purpose of the study is that Animal-fun activities capture children's attention, making them a powerful tool for enhancing kinesthetic awareness and gross motor skills. Although play-based programs like Animal Fun boost motor development, no research has yet examined if adding animal interaction can specifically improve proprioception in children with Down syndrome. There is no difference in the effects of animal fun program on kinesthesia in children with Down syndrome.There is a difference in the effects of animal fun program on kinesthesia in Children with Down syndrome.

Down syndrome (DS), resulting from a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21 in approximately 1 in 650-1,000 live births, represents the most frequent genetic origin of intellectual disability and is often accompanied by delayed attainment of motor developmental milestones. Insufficient motor coordination and proprioceptive awareness can significantly limit participation in physical activities. Proprioceptive input mediated by muscle spindles, joint and skin receptors, and Golgi tendon organs underlies kinesthesia, our sensory perception of movement and spatial orientation. The Animal Fun program, a structured, inclusive early intervention originally designed for typically developing children, has demonstrated effectiveness in improving gross and fine motor skills, balance, manual dexterity, and socio-emotional development.The study design will be Quasi Experimental Study. This study will recruit 26 children of Down Syndrome to evaluate a modified Animal Fun program on Kinesthesia in children with down syndrome. Animal fun program will be provided for 8 weeks and in one week four sessions will be conducted. The study will be completed in 10 months after the approval of synopsis. Data will be collected from step up rehabilitation center Lahore. Participants fulfilling the eligibility criteria will be asked to assign the consent form before entering into study. Kinesthesia effect will be assessed by joint position sense test. A goniometer measures joint angles and accuracy is calculated by comparing target and reproduced angles. The synopsis will presented to the Research Ethical Committee of Riphah International University, Lahore for ethical approval to conduct this study. Data will be analyzed through SPSS version 26.0.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children aged 6 to 9 years
• Diagnosed with Down's Syndrome
• Both male and female will be included
• Parental/Guardian Consent or Written informed consent must be obtained from parents or legal guardians.
• Regular Attendance or Availability and willingness to participate in all scheduled sessions of the Animal Fun Program.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of Neurological and Musculoskeletal Disorders
• Visual or Hearing Impairments
• Behavioral or Psychiatric Conditions
• Recent Orthopedic or Neurosurgical Interventions
• Irregular Attendance Risk