Feasibility, Acceptability and Tolerability of an Augmented Reality Gaming Intervention for Children With and Without Movement Impairments

To explore the feasibility, acceptability, and tolerability of an augmented reality intervention for children with and without movement impairments. Preliminary mechanisms of effect for motor learning were also assessed.
This non-randomized feasibility study included 33 participants between the ages of six and twelve (mean age 9.54, SD 1.60), with a range of motor abilities. Experimental sessions comprised of i) the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd Edition assessment, ii) a testing session with Intervention X, and iii) a questionnaire examining their experience. A supporting clinician who observed all sessions provided feedback on the delivery of Intervention X.
Participants spent 895 min playing Intervention X. Most participants (92.2%) reported they had ‘fun’ using the intervention, and they would play at home (84.2%), and with friends (86.1%). Disengagement occurred in 16.7% of participants. Intervention X demonstrated evidence of a potential mechanism of effect for motor learning principles.
Intervention X was feasible, acceptable, and tolerable for children across a range of motor abilities in a school and clinic environment, supporting potential therapeutic benefits. Future studies should provide rigorous testing with children with movement impairments, such as developmental coordination disorder, to determine the long-term effectiveness of Intervention X.