Energy Costs and Movement Initiation in Children with Developmental Delay

Recent research compared energy costs during walking and movement initiation times in 3-5 year old children with developmental delay (n=12) and children with typical development (n=12). The children paticipated in various assessments including range of motion in the lower extremities, physiological cost of walking, and movement initiation times. To determine reaction time for goal directed walking a task was designed to evaluate the initiation of movement (the “go play with the toy” task).
The results showed the following:
1. physiological costs of walking were similar in the 2 groups.
2. children with developmental delay walked at a lower speed than children with typical development.
3. children with developmental delay took more time to initiate goal-directed walking.

The researchers recommended that therapists should evaluate the movement initiation ability of 3- to 5-year-old children with developmental delay as part of the design of an overall intervention plan.

Reference: C-N. Chen, PT, PhD et al. Initiation of Movement and Energy Expenditure in Children With Developmental Delay: A Case-Control Study. Published online before print 5 June 2014 doi: 10.2522/​ptj.20130443 Physical Therapy October 2014 vol. 94 no. 10 1434-1442

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Sitting and Developmental Delay

Pediatric Physical Therapy has published research on the relationship between the ability to sit upright and developmental delay. Sixty five infants were evaluated when the babies were learning to sit. The amount and variability of the center of pressure (COP) of sitting was measured and data was collected. After data analysis, the results indicated that the variability of the center of pressure when learning to sit could "discriminate between infants with developmental delay and cerebral palsy". The researchers concluded that the center of pressure is an objective tool to be used to help to identify sitting postures and motor delays.

Reference: Kyvelidou, Anastasia; Harbourne, Regina T.; Stergiou, Nicholas. Severity and Characteristics of Developmental Delay Can Be Assessed Using Variability Measures of Sitting Posture Pediatric Physical Therapy. 22(3):259-266, Fall 2010. doi: 10.1097/PEP.0b013e3181ea75f1