Perceptual Motor Behavior in Down Syndrome

Many of the daily challenges faced by persons with Down syndrome are caused by difficulties in their perceptual-motor behavior. These challenges and their behavioral consequences have been the center of multi-disciplined research efforts over the past century.

Perceptual-Motor Behavior in Down Syndrome is a comprehensive collection of contemporary research and provides readers a window into the behavioral variability exhibited by this special group. Now you can apply this research to circumvent, or at least minimize, some of the general and specific processing challenges associated with Down syndrome.

Internationally recognized contributors from 10 different countries cover aspects of sensory, cognitive, and movement processes in infants, children, and adults with Down syndrome.

Specifically addressed are the differences and similarities among persons with Down syndrome, people with other disabilities, and non-disabled people. Contributors present fellow researchers, educators, parents, and students with an increased understanding that perceptual-motor behavior in Down syndrome is often adaptive and appropriate. Use this up-to-date resource in current program planning, educational initiatives, and future research efforts.

Part I focuses on some of the underlying functional components of perceptual-motor behavior, beginning with a discussion of muscular activation patterns and moving to more complex manual, locomotor, and visuomotor themes.

Part II discusses characteristics of motor behavior in Down syndrome in the context of maturation, learning, and adaptive change. Both Part I and Part II offer useful strategies that may facilitate skill acquisition.

Part III explores theoretical advances and the accompanying new research strategies for understanding and investigating perceptual-motor behavior in Down syndrome.

This text will facilitate an understanding of the environmental experience and development of perceptual-motor behavior in people with Down syndrome. With this text, you can help address the challenges faced by this extraordinary population.

The book contains black-and-white illustrations.

Many of the daily challenges faced by persons with Down syndrome are caused by difficulties in their perceptual-motor behavior. These challenges and their behavioral consequences have been the center of multi-disciplined research efforts over the past century.

Perceptual-Motor Behavior in Down Syndrome is a comprehensive collection of contemporary research and provides readers a window into the behavioral variability exhibited by this special group. Now you can apply this research to circumvent, or at least minimize, some of the general and specific processing challenges associated with Down syndrome.

Internationally recognized contributors from 10 different countries cover aspects of sensory, cognitive, and movement processes in infants, children, and adults with Down syndrome.

Specifically addressed are the differences and similarities among persons with Down syndrome, people with other disabilities, and non-disabled people. Contributors present fellow researchers, educators, parents, and students with an increased understanding that perceptual-motor behavior in Down syndrome is often adaptive and appropriate. Use this up-to-date resource in current program planning, educational initiatives, and future research efforts.

Part I focuses on some of the underlying functional components of perceptual-motor behavior, beginning with a discussion of muscular activation patterns and moving to more complex manual, locomotor, and visuomotor themes.

Part II discusses characteristics of motor behavior in Down syndrome in the context of maturation, learning, and adaptive change. Both Part I and Part II offer useful strategies that may facilitate skill acquisition.

Part III explores theoretical advances and the accompanying new research strategies for understanding and investigating perceptual-motor behavior in Down syndrome.

This text will facilitate an understanding of the environmental experience and development of perceptual-motor behavior in people with Down syndrome. With this text, you can help address the challenges faced by this extraordinary population.

Barbara H. Connolly

This is a collection of research articles and reviews of research on the perceptual motor behaviors exhibited by individuals with Down Syndrome. The text is a compilation of information with contributing authors from ten different countries. The purpose is to provide the most current and comprehensive review of perceptual-motor behaviors seen in individuals with Down Syndrome. This area of study is becoming more exciting as researchers are identifying the differences seen in individuals with Down Syndrome. The editors of this text offer theoretically-driven chapters on specific aspects of perceptual motor behaviors as well as chapters with a focus on motor development. The editors' objectives are clearly met in this well written book. The editors state that the text is written for undergraduate and graduate students as well as physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, physicians, and other healthcare workers. The book should also be of interest to psychologists and special educators. This text is divided into three parts. In Part I the focus is on some of the underlying components of perceptual-motor behavior. The contributors in this section provide an excellent overview of muscular activation patterns as well as discuss complex manual, locomotor, and visuomotor themes. In Part II contributors discuss perceptual motor issues in individuals with Down Syndrome. Here they provide an extensive review of the literature and then discuss their own research into areas such as motor control and motor learning. The chapters on sensorimotor deficits and on longitudinal motor development are some of the best that I have ever seen. In Part III theoretical advances and newresearch strategies for understanding and exploring perceptual motor behavior in Down syndrome are covered. This outstanding book should be read by all professionals who work with individuals with Down Syndrome from infancy to adulthood. The editors provide a comprehensive and outstanding review of the literature as well as much needed information about the variability seen in individuals with Down Syndrome. The book could have been enhanced by the use of more illustrations as well as color photographs. It is easy to read and is written at a level that is appropriate for the student as well as for the well seasoned practitioner.

Daniel J. Weeks, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Graduate Chair in the School of Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada. He has been conducting research in the area of perceptual-motor behavior in persons with Down syndrome for nearly fifteen years.

He receives grant support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC) and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). His work has been published in numerous scholarly journals and texts, including the Journal of Experimental Psychology; Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology; Experimental Brain Research; Journal of Motor Behavior; Psychological Research; and Down Syndrome: Research and Practice. He is on the editorial board for the Journal of Motor Behavior and Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers. Dr. Weeks sits on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Down Syndrome Research Foundation & Resource Center and is a member of their Research Forum. He is also a member of the Psychonomics Society and the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA). In 1996, he received the Early Career Distinguished Scholar Award from NASPSPA.

Dr. Weeks resides in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada, and enjoys fishing, drumming, and euchre.

Romeo Chua, PhD, is an assistant professor in the School of Human Kinetics at the University of British Columbia, and a research supervisor for the Simon Fraser/McMaster University Down syndrome project. Over the past several years he has participated in collaborated research efforts of perceptual-motor behavior and functional cerebralspecialization in persons with Down syndrome.

He receives grant support from NSERC and NIH. Dr. Chua is a member of the NASPSPA and the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology (SCAPPS). In 1996, he received the Governor General's Gold Medal from Simon Fraser University and the Young Scientist Award from SCAPPS in 1992.

Dr. Chua and his wife Brenda reside in Vancover, British Columbia, Canada. He enjoys reading, music, and tennis.

is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University. His current research is funded by NSERC and NIH.

In the past 18 years, Elliott has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and been co-editor on two books. In 1997, he was listed by Current Contents as one of the most published authors in psychology. He is on the editorial board for the Journal of Motor Behavior and belongs to the NASPSPA and SCAPPS. He was president of SCAPPS from 1997 to 1998.

Dr. Elliott and his wife Elaine reside in Dundas, Ontario, Canada. He enjoys skin and scuba diving, jogging, and reading in his spare time.