Efficiency of the home parental programme in visual-motor home activity among first-grade children

Background The objectives of this study were to assess the efficacy of the home parental programme (HPP) in improving children's visual-motor skills, and to assess parent satisfaction with the programme. Methods Forty-five children and their parents participated in the study: 23 children and their parents in the study group (children receiving consultation in the classroom and whose parents participated in the HPP) and 22 children and their parents in the control group (children receiving consultation in the classroom only). All children were recruited based on their scores on the Visual Motor Integration test or upon teacher referral. The Developmental Test of Visual Perception-2 administered before and after intervention served as an outcome measure. HPP lasted approximately 12 weeks and included relevant visual-motor activities carried out at home by the parents with their children. Results The study failed to prove that HPP improved children's visual-motor skills beyond the other service delivery methods used in the present study. Conclusions Parent satisfaction was significantly higher among those who participated in the HPP. Parents showed high compliance with the friendly programme despite their low socio-economic status.