Exercise and Physical Fitness in Children With Specific Learning Disabilities

The Effect of Combined Exercise Training on Physical Fitness Parameters in Children With Specific Learning Disabilities

Specific learning disabilities (SLD) are characterized by difficulties in reading, comprehension, arithmetic, and written expression, often accompanied by impairments in motor skills, balance, and coordination. However, physical difficulties in children with SLD are often overlooked in educational settings, and parental awareness of these issues remains limited.

This study aims to examine the effect of an 8-week combined exercise program-including balance, strength, and stretching exercises-on the physical fitness of children aged 7-14 years with SLD. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a control group.

The exercise intervention will be conducted three times per week for 45 minutes per session over eight weeks. Physical fitness will be evaluated through standardized field-based measures of balance, strength, flexibility, and endurance before and after the intervention. Data will be analyzed using SPSS 26.0, employing Wilcoxon, Mann-Whitney U, independent t-test, and paired t-test as appropriate.

The study is expected to emphasize the importance of physical activity for children with SLD and promote the inclusion of physiotherapy-based exercise programs in individualized support plans.

Primary Outcome Question: Does an 8-week combined exercise program improve balance, strength, flexibility, and endurance-key components of physical fitness-in children with specific learning disabilities compared to a control group?

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Learning Disabilities
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Combined Exercise Program

Detailed Description

The term "Learning Disability" refers to difficulties in achieving expected academic performance in specific areas despite normal intelligence. In Turkey, learning disabilities encompass difficulties in one or more cognitive processes necessary for understanding and using language, either written or spoken. These difficulties may manifest in listening, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, attention, or mathematical operations.

Children with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) often experience not only academic difficulties but also deficits in motor skills, balance, and coordination. Physical fitness, defined as the ability to perform daily activities efficiently and safely, depends on multiple parameters including flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, balance, coordination, speed, and agility. Regular exercise can improve these parameters, supporting children's physical, social, and cognitive development.

Despite the importance of physical fitness, studies on exercise interventions in SLD children are limited and mostly focus on balance. There is a lack of research investigating comprehensive combined exercise programs addressing multiple fitness components simultaneously.

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of a combined exercise program on physical fitness parameters in children with SLD aged 7-14 years. The primary objectives are:

To improve flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, balance, coordination, speed, and agility.

To prevent deficits in gross and fine motor skills commonly observed in children with SLD.

To increase parental awareness of the importance of physical exercise in children with learning disabilities.

To provide a home-based exercise guide for children and parents to promote sustainable physical activity.

This randomized controlled study will be conducted in Bartın, Turkey, with 18 participants diagnosed with SLD according to official assessments. Participants will be randomly assigned to the exercise group, which will receive the combined exercise program, or to the control group, which will not receive intervention. Physical fitness parameters will be measured before and after the intervention to evaluate changes.

The combined exercise program consists of 8 weeks of progressive training, three times per week, 45 minutes per session, including warm-up, main exercise, and cool-down phases. Exercises target all major muscle groups and incorporate strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, speed, and agility components.

Hypothesis: H0: "Combined exercise training has a significant positive effect on the physical fitness parameters of children with SLD." The novelty of this study lies in addressing physical fitness comprehensively in SLD children, beyond academic interventions, and promoting sustainable exercise habits. Results are expected to contribute to both the scientific literature and practical guidance for education and rehabilitation programs for children with learning disabilities.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 18
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Meryem Sevim, PhD; Phone Number: +905536104510; Email: fzt.meryemsevim@outlook.com

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Bartın
    • Bartın, Bartın, Turkey (Türkiye), 74100
      • Bartın University, Vocational School of Health Services
      • Contact: Meryem Sevim, Dr.; Phone Number: +905536104510; Email: msevim@bartin.edu.tr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Exercise Group: Children aged 7-14 years diagnosed with Specific Learning Difficulty (SLD), with signed parental consent and child assent form
• Control Group: Children aged 7-14 years without SLD (healthy), with signed parental consent and child assent form

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children with physical disabilities preventing participation
• Children unable to cooperate with the assessments

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Exercise Group; Participants receive a combined exercise program for 8 weeks, 3 days per week, 45 minutes per session. Physical fitness parameters-including flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, balance, coordination, speed, and agility-are assessed before and after the intervention.	Behavioral: Combined Exercise Program; Participants perform a combined exercise program for 8 weeks, 3 days per week, 45 minutes per session. Physical fitness parameters-including flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, balance, coordination, speed, and agility-are assessed before and after the intervention. This program aims to improve gross and fine motor skills, balance, coordination, and overall physical fitness in children with specific learning difficulties.
No Intervention: Control Group; Participants do not receive any intervention. Physical fitness parameters-including flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, balance, coordination, speed, and agility-are assessed at the same time points as the exercise group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Balance Performance (Flamingo Balance Test)	Description: Static balance will be assessed using the Flamingo Balance Test from the Eurofit Test Battery. Participants will stand on one leg on a narrow beam, and the number of falls within 1 minute will be recorded. Time Frame: Baseline and 8 weeks Unit of Measure: Number of falls (count) Interpretation: Lower scores indicate better balance.	Pre- and post-intervention (8 weeks)
Coordination Speed (Plate Tapping Test)	Description: Coordination and movement speed will be assessed using the Plate Tapping Test from the Eurofit Test Battery. The time required to complete 25 cycles of alternating taps will be recorded. Time Frame: Baseline and 8 weeks Unit of Measure: Seconds Interpretation: Lower scores indicate better performance.	Before and after intervention (8 weeks)
Flexibility (Sit-and-Reach Test)	Description: Flexibility will be measured using the Sit and Reach Test, which assesses hamstring and lower back flexibility. Time Frame: Baseline and 8 weeks Unit of Measure: Centimeters Interpretation: Higher scores indicate greater flexibility.	Before and after intervention (8 weeks)
Abdominal Muscle Endurance (Sit-Ups Test)	Description: Abdominal muscle endurance will be assessed using the Sit-Ups Test, recording the number of repetitions completed in 30 seconds. Time Frame: Baseline and 8 weeks Unit of Measure: Number of sit-ups (count) Interpretation: Higher scores indicate better endurance.	Before and after intervention (8 weeks)
Lower Limb Power (Standing Long Jump Test)	Description: Explosive leg power will be evaluated using the Standing Long Jump Test. The best distance achieved in three trials will be recorded. Time Frame: Baseline and 8 weeks Unit of Measure: Centimeters Interpretation: Higher scores indicate better performance.	Before and after intervention (8 weeks)
Cardiorespiratory Endurance (20 m Shuttle Run Test)	Description: Aerobic endurance will be assessed using the 20-meter Shuttle Run Test (Eurofit). The number of completed stages will be recorded. Time Frame: Baseline and 8 weeks Unit of Measure: Number of completed stages Interpretation: Higher scores indicate better endurance.	Before and after intervention (8 weeks)
Age	Measurement: Years Description: Chronological age of the participant will be recorded. Time Frame: Baseline (Pre-intervention)	Baseline (Pre-intervention)
Sex	Measurement: Male / Female (categorical variable) Description: Biological sex will be recorded to explore potential differences in physical fitness outcomes. Time Frame: Baseline (Pre-intervention)	Baseline (Pre-intervention)
Body Mass Index (BMI)	Measurement: kg/m² Description: BMI will be calculated using measured body weight and height (BMI = weight [kg] / height² [m²]). It will be used as a descriptive and covariate variable in analysis. Interpretation: Higher or lower BMI values will be examined in relation to physical fitness outcomes. Time Frame: Baseline (Pre-intervention)	Baseline (Pre-intervention)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Bartın Unıversity

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): November 25, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 27, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 13, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): November 17, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 17, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 13, 2025
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Children; Exercise Intervention; Physical Fitness; Combined Exercise; Learning Disability
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Communication Disorders; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Learning Disabilities
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2025-SBB-0230

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No