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Appropriateness of different pedagogical approaches to road safety education for children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)

C. Purcell, A.R. Romijn, Amy Romijn Orcid Logo

Research in Developmental Disabilities, Volume: 70, Pages: 85 - 93

Swansea University Author: Amy Romijn Orcid Logo

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Abstract

Background In 2016, 29% of pedestrians killed or seriously injured on the roads in Great Britain were under 15 years of age. Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), a chronic disorder affecting the acquisition and execution of motor skills, may be more vulnerable at the roadside tha...

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Published in: Research in Developmental Disabilities
ISSN: 08914222
Published: 2017
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa40733
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Abstract: Background In 2016, 29% of pedestrians killed or seriously injured on the roads in Great Britain were under 15 years of age. Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), a chronic disorder affecting the acquisition and execution of motor skills, may be more vulnerable at the roadside than typically developing (TD) children. Current methods used to teach road safety are typically knowledge-based and do not necessarily improve behaviour in real traffic situations. Virtual reality road crossing tasks may be a viable alternative. Aims/Methods The present study aimed to test the road crossing accuracy of children with and without DCD in virtual reality tasks that varied the viewpoint to simulate the teaching methods currently used in road safety educational programmes. Twenty-one children with DCD and twenty-one age and gender matched TD peers were required to locate the safest road crossing sites in two conditions: allocentric (aerial viewpoint) and egocentric (first-person viewpoint). Procedures/Outcomes All children completed both conditions and were required to navigate either themselves or an avatar across the road using the safest crossing route. The primary outcome was accuracy defined as the number of trials, out of 10, on which the child successfully identified and used the safest crossing route. Results/Conclusions Children with DCD performed equally poorly in both conditions, while TD children were significantly more accurate in the egocentric condition. This difference cannot be explained by self-reported prior road crossing education, practice or confidence. Implications While TD children may benefit from the development of an egocentric virtual reality road crossing task, multimodal methods may be needed to effectively teach road safety to children with DCD.
Keywords: Developmental co-ordination disorder; road crossing; pedagogy
College: Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
Start Page: 85
End Page: 93