The Efficacy of The Stephens-Sarlos Development Program on Sensorimotor Development, Auditory and Visual Skills of Schoolchildren

Abstract Background Around 800 million young children worldwide have cognitive-developmental limitations due to biological, environmental, and psychosocial reasons, while in Europe, an estimated 15 million children have special educational needs. This leads to educational challenges, limited skill levels, and higher unemployment rates. Therefore, timely intervention within institutional settings to address the reasons underlying these problems is of critical importance. Objective The “S. Sensorimotor Development Program” (SSDP) was developed by the authors as a key intervention to develop the skills essential for starting school. This longitudinal field study investigated the impact of the SSDP in an institutional setting focusing on the specific auditory and visual skills required for learning in kindergarten and primary school children. Methods The SSDP consists of 120 training sessions focused on sensorimotor maturation. 772 children aged 5–8 took part in the study, with 704 in the experimental and 68 in the control group, each containing an equal ratio of boys and girls. The study lasted six to eight months and consisted of three to five weekly training sessions. Results Results obtained following the intervention showed significant improvements in sensorimotor maturity in the experimental compared to the no-intervention control group (p<.001, effect size (d)=.483; auditory skillsr=.605 p <.001, d=.366; visual skills r= .542, p< .001, d =.294). The intervention group also improved compared to its baseline measurements. Conclusion These results show that implementing the SSDP in school settings can improve sensorimotor development, which has a strong effect on auditory and visual abilities in children aged 5–8.