Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, 2024 (SSCI)
This study aimed to investigate how a 12-week traditional archery training (TAT) program affects the motor skills and quality of life of adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities. Twenty adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (10 participants) or a control group through a purposive sampling method. An experimental design, including pre-test, post-test, and retention test measurements, was applied to both groups. The experimental group underwent a 12-week novice TAT program. Motor performance tests, including arm-reaching movement performance (efficiency, accuracy), maximum grip force (GF), maximum rate of grip force development (RGFD), and the stork balance test, were administered. Additionally, the Quality of Life Inventory was used to assess the participants' quality of life. The experimental group showed significant improvements in arm-reaching movement performance, stork balance, and quality of life following the TAT program compared to the control group. No significant changes were observed in max GF and max RGFD between the groups. However, significant differences were noted between the pre-test and post-test scores for these two variables in the experimental group. Furthermore, the experimental group exhibited continued improvement in retention test scores for arm-reaching movement performance, max GF, max RGFD, and quality of life compared to their post-test scores, though no continued improvement was observed for stork balance. These findings suggest that target-oriented activities, such as archery, could enhance rehabilitation strategies for adolescents with intellectual disabilities by improving both motor skills and quality of life.