Application of remodeled glove puppetry for children with developmental disabilities: A randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to improve hand performance and play behavior in children with developmental disabilities (DD) using a remodeled glove puppetry approach. Overall, 62 children with DD were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (n = 31 each). The experimental group underwent a 12-week rehabilitation program by playing with the remodeled glove puppetry, while the children in the control group played with non-remodeled glove puppetry. The Chinese puppet was remodeled using a Lego EV3® robot. Hand kinematics were analyzed through the Siliconcoach® Pro 7 software, which measured the force produced by the baseline ® hydraulic pinch gauge. Play behavior was measured using the Knox Preschool Play Scale-revised (KPPS-r). The experimental group exhibited significant improvements compared to the control group in hand kinematics (wrist range of motion [ROM], p < .05; metacarpophalangeal ROM, p < .05; proximal interphalangeal ROM, p < .05) and KPPS-r scores (space management, p < .05; material management, p < .05; pretense-symbolic, p < .05; participation, p < .05). After the 12-week rehabilitation with the remodeled glove puppetry, the experimental group exhibited significant improvement in kinematics and KPPS-r scores.

KEYWORDS:

• developmental disabilities
• EV3® robot
• hand kinematics
• play
• puppetry

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to all the participants and supporting teachers of the Research Center for Education and Mind Sciences at National Tsing Hua University, who assisted us by providing advice and necessary equipment.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2023.2267626.

Additional information

Funding

Hsieh, Hsieh-Chun has received a grant (MOST 110-2511-H-007-008) from the Ministry of Science and Technology Fund to support this study.