The Development of Ability to Use Fine Motor Skills by Using Creative Art Activities for Children with Intellectual Disability in Nakhon Phanom Provincial Special Education Centers

Abstract

The purposes of this research were: 1) to examine the progression of ability to use fine motor skills in children with intellectual disability before and after participation in creative art activities, and 2) to assess their satisfaction with these activities designed to enhance fine motor skills development. The target group was four children with intellectual disability, aged 3 to 6 years. The research instruments consisted of Individualized Instruction Plans (IIPs) based on creative art activities, a fine motor skill ability assessment scale, and a children satisfaction assessment form based on observation. The data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, percentages, and the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank for hypothesis testing.

The results of the research found that: 1) Progress in fine motor skills of the four children with intellectual disability showed that their fine motor skills improved after participating in creative art activities. Before the activities, most children were at an average level and lacked hand control, accuracy, and movement continuity. During the activities, the children began to control their hand and finger movements more effectively and were able to independently perform some steps in activities. After the activities, they completed all five creative art activities sequentially with increased accuracy, precision, and continuity in their work. These findings suggest that creative art activities are effective in promoting fine motor skills development in children with intellectual disability. In addition, the overall satisfaction with the creative art activities of the children was at high level (M=4.43, S.D.=0.20).