Digital motor intervention effects on motor performance of individuals with developmental disabilities: a systematic review.

Researchers in this systematic review looked at thirty studies examining whether digital technologies like video games, virtual reality, and video conferencing could help improve motor skills in children and young adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities. They found that across these studies, people showed small to large improvements in motor performance after using these digital tools. The evidence suggests that digital interventions do produce measurable gains in how well people move and perform physical tasks.

However, the strength of benefit varied depending on which technology was used and which group of people was being studied, so there is no single digital tool that works equally well for everyone.

A review of research has found that using digital technologies like video games and virtual reality can help improve how well children and young adults with developmental disabilities move and exercise. The studies showed that people got better at motor tasks after using these kinds of tools.

Some people improved quite a lot, and others improved a bit, but overall the pattern suggests these technologies can make a difference. One reason this matters is that digital tools can make exercise feel more like play than work, which might make it more enjoyable to keep practicing. These technologies might also be useful at home or when it is harder to get to in-person therapy.

That said, the research does not yet tell us which specific type of technology works best for which person, so what helps one person may not be the same as what helps another.

This is a summary of research, not medical advice. Talk to your own healthcare provider about anything affecting your care.

The systematic review identified consistent but modest effect sizes across digital motor interventions in this population, with improvements ranging from small to large depending on the study and intervention type. The evidence base appears strongest for exergaming platforms like the Wii and Xbox Kinect, and the authors found support specifically for digital interventions in people with developmental disabilities without co-occurring intellectual disability, though the review did not directly compare the efficacy of different digital modalities against each other. From a practice perspective, these findings suggest digital tools may serve as an engagement strategy or adjunct to conventional therapy rather than as standalone replacements.

The heterogeneity in outcomes and the observation that efficacy varies by technology and population indicates that clinicians would benefit from more targeted research comparing specific interventions within defined diagnostic groups. The potential for telehealth-delivered motor interventions is notable given accessibility considerations, though the current evidence base does not yet provide clear guidance on when telehealth might be equivalent to, or preferable to, in-person intervention.