The Impact of Brain Gym Exercises on Mind for The Children with Mild Level of Intellectual Disabilities

Authors : Makbule Karcı, Bilsen Sirmen

Pages : 11-18

Doi:10.58770/joinihp.1588039

View : 6 | Download : 10

Publication Date : 2025-03-27

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study has been planned to identify the impact of brain gym (BG) exercises on the mind for children with mild levels of intellectual disability and to provide the more common use of BG exercises in rehabilitation programs. A total of 24 intellectually disabled students, 10 girls, and 14 boys, aged between 6 and 18 years, studying at Bağcılar Başak Special Education and Rehabilitation Center School were included in the study. To identify the intelligence level of the students, in order they have been applied Bender Gestalt Visual Perception Test and Wechlers Intelligence Test by expert psychologist. Then while individual private training session as 6 hours per month and with the observation of the physiotherapist 15-minute sessions three times a week have been given to the experiment group, the control group received only private training session 6 times a month. Also the exercises given to the experiment group have been required as homework. After 6 weeks of training the tests which had been applied at the beginning were applied to both groups again. Participants demonstrated significant improvements in Bender Gestalt Visual Perception Test reducing the error score after working (p<0.05). The results obtained from the study showed that BG exercise training applied to students with intellectual disabilities positively affected cognitive abilities.
Keywords : Brain Gym, Zihinsel engellilik, Öğrenme, Nöroplastisite