Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often have deficits in motor skills, especially balance. This article presents a meta-analytic review of 15 intervention studies that aimed to improve balance in children and adolescents with ASD. Across these studies, there were 195 participants with ASD for whom pre-intervention and post-intervention balance scores were available. We measured the standardized mean difference (Hedges’ g) between their pre-intervention and post-intervention balance scores and found a large, positive effect from these balance interventions (standardized mean difference—1.82 (95% CI [1.34, 2.29]). Various balance intervention procedures were shown to be very efficacious for children and adolescents with ASD. Clearly, balance is a motor skill that is very susceptible to intervention efforts. We also provided recommendations to researchers regarding what information to include when conducting intervention studies.

The goal of the present study was to assess the family quality of life (FQOL) in families with children with developmental disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We examined the FQOL in relation to parents’ demographic variables (gender, age, employment status), children’s gender and age, type of children’s disability (mild and moderate intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder) and parent’s depression, anxiety, and stress levels. The sample consisted of 270 parents of children with disabilities; 90 parents of children with autism spectrum disorder, 90 parents of children with mild intellectual disability, and 90 parents of children with moderate intellectual disability. We also included a control group of 90 parents of typically developing children. The results of this study showed that parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and parents of children with moderate intellectual disability had statistically significantly lower FQOL than parents of children with mild intellectual disability and parents of typically developing children. Child’s gender had a significant effect on FQOL. Also, depression, anxiety and stress levels significantly affected FQOL, while the parents’ gender, age, and employment status did not have a significant effect. Implications of these findings are discussed and some measures on supporting parents are proposed.

The goal of the present study was to examine the quality of life (QOL) of parents of children with intellectual disability. An additional goal was to examine the effects of gender and educational status on the QOL of these parents. The sample for this study consisted of 50 parents of children with intellectual disabilities and 50 parents of children without disabilities as a control group. As A measure of QOL, we used Family Quality of Life Survey. Results have shown that there is a statistically significant difference between the perceived QOL of parents of children with intellectual disabilities and parents of typically developing children. The effects of gender and educational status on QOL of parents of children with intellectual disabilities were also statistically significant. However, there were no interaction effects of gender and educational status on the QOL. Given the lower QOL of parents of children with intellectual disability, it is important to provide them with support programs in order to improve their QOL.

Visual-motor integration (VMI) skills, defined as the coordination of fine motor and visual perceptual abilities, are a very good indicator of a child’s overall level of functioning. Research has clearly established that children with intellectual disability (ID) have deficits in VMI skills. This article presents a meta-analytic review of 10 research studies involving 652 children with mild ID for which a VMI skills assessment was also available. We measured the standardized mean difference (Hedges’ g) between scores on VMI tests of these children with mild ID and either typically developing children’s VMI test scores in these studies or normative mean values on VMI tests used by the studies. While mild ID is defined in part by intelligence scores that are two to three standard deviations below those of typically developing children, the standardized mean difference of VMI differences between typically developing children and children with mild ID in this meta-analysis was 1.75 (95% CI [1.11, 2.38]). Thus, the intellectual and adaptive skill deficits of children with mild ID may be greater (perhaps especially due to their abstract and conceptual reasoning deficits) than their relative VMI deficits. We discuss the possible meaning of this relative VMI strength among children with mild ID and suggest that their stronger VMI skills may be a target for intensive academic interventions as a means of attenuating problems in adaptive functioning.

The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between visual-motor integration and executive functions, and in particular, the extent to which executive functions can predict visual-motor integration skills in children with intellectual disability. The sample consisted of 90 children (54 boys, 36 girls; M age = 11.3 yr., SD = 2.7, range 7–15) with intellectual disabilities of various etiologies. The measure of executive functions were 8 subscales of the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) consisting of Inhibition, Shifting, Emotional Control, Initiating, Working memory, Planning, Organization of material, and Monitoring. Visual-motor integration was measured with the Acadia test of visual-motor integration (VMI). Regression analysis revealed that BRIEF subscales explained 38% of the variance in VMI scores. Of all the BRIEF subscales, only two were statistically significant predictors of visual-motor integration: Working memory and Monitoring. Possible implications of this finding are further elaborated.