| This research project is aimed at investigating the motor skills and physical fitness of children with visual impairments (VI; those who are blind or have low vision). In previous studies about motor skills and/or physical fitness of children with VI, a wide variety of measurement methods have been used, making it difficult to draw general conclusions about the motor skills and physical fitness of children with VI. Besides, measurement methods have not been checked on their reliability and validity for children with VI. Therefore, the first aim of the current research project is to develop a reliable and valid test battery for these children. The second aim is to determine the degree to which motor problems present themselves in children with VI. Although several studies have indicated that children with VI have poor motor skills and physical fitness levels, data concerning the potential influencing factors is scarce. We expect the degree of motor problems to be a reflection of a specific interaction between organismic constraints (i.e. severity of visual impairment, learning capacity) and various task and environmental constraints. So, a further aim of the research project is to investigate the possible constraints on the motor skill and physical fitness performance of children with VI. |
