Investigation of Psychosocial Effects of Dance/Movement Therapy in Children With Specific Learning Disorders

Investigation of Psychosocial Effects of Dance/Movement Therapy in Children With Specific Learning Disorders: a Randomized Controlled Study With 6 Months Follow-up

This randomized controlled trial examined whether dance/movement therapy (DMT) can improve emotional and social well-being in children with specific learning disorder (SLD). Children aged 8-12 years with SLD who were receiving special education services in Muğla, Türkiye, were randomly assigned to either an 8-week group DMT program in addition to their usual special education services or to usual special education services alone. Anxiety and depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and social skills were assessed before the intervention, after the intervention, and at a 6-month follow-up.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Specific Learning Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Dance/Movement Therapy

Detailed Description

Specific learning disorder is associated with emotional and social difficulties beyond academic problems. In this two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial, eligible children were randomly allocated (1:1) to a DMT group or a control group using a computer-generated randomization sequence prepared by an independent statistician. The DMT program consisted of 16 group sessions (45 minutes each, twice weekly, over 8 weeks) delivered in small groups of 6-8 children. Each session followed a standardized five-phase structure (warm-up, improvisation, skill development, integration, and closure) based on the principles of the GAMZE (Gaining Accurate Mobility with Zealous Effort) style and the BrainDance model. Both groups continued to receive their usual special education services. Parents completed the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Parent Version and the Social Skills Evaluation Scale, and children completed the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory-School Form. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 46
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Fethiye
    • Muğla, Fethiye, Turkey (Türkiye), 48300
      • Yusuf İzzet Primary School

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 8 years to 12 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 8-12 years
• Diagnosis of specific learning disorder according to DSM-5 within the preceding 12 months, verified by a valid Child with Special Needs Report (ÇÖZGER)
• Enrollment in a primary school affiliated with the Turkish Ministry of National Education, with at least one semester of formal schooling completed
• Current enrollment in a special education and rehabilitation center

Exclusion Criteria:

• Co-occurring physical, neurological, psychiatric, or other neurodevelopmental condition that could interfere with participation or substantially affect study outcomes
• Receiving or initiating any treatment targeting neurodevelopmental, emotional, behavioral, or psychosocial functioning during the study period
• Regular participation in organized sports or other structured physical activities outside routine school and recreational activities

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Dance/Movement Therapy; Children received 16 sessions of group dance/movement therapy (45 minutes, twice weekly, for 8 weeks) in addition to their usual special education	Behavioral: Dance/Movement Therapy; A structured, goal-oriented group program based on the GAMZE style and the BrainDance model. Each 45-minute session included warm-up (5 min), improvisation (10 min), skill development (15 min), integration (10 min), and closure (5 min). Sessions were delivered in groups of 6-8 children by an experienced therapist trained in goal-oriented DMT.; Other Names: DMT
No Intervention: Control; Children continued to receive their usual special education services without

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Parent Version (RCADS-P) Total Score	Parent-reported 47-item scale assessing anxiety and depressive symptoms (total score range 0-141); higher scores indicate greater symptom severity.	Baseline, week 8 (post-intervention), and month 6 (follow-up)
Change in Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory-School Form (CSEI) Total Score	Child-reported inventory assessing general, social, home/family, and academic self-esteem; higher scores indicate higher self-esteem.	Baseline, week 8 (post-intervention), and month 6 (follow-up)
Change in Social Skills Evaluation Scale (SSES) Total Score	Parent-reported 69-item scale assessing social skills across 12 domains (total score range 69-345); higher scores indicate better social skills.	Baseline, week 8 (post-intervention), and month 6 (follow-up)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in RCADS-P Anxiety and Depression Subscale Scores	Anxiety subscale (range 0-111) and depression subscale (range 0-30); higher scores indicate greater symptom severity.	Baseline, week 8 (post-intervention), and month 6 (follow-up)
Change in CSEI Subscale Scores	General, social, home/family, and academic self-esteem subscales; higher scores indicate higher self-esteem.	Baseline, week 8 (post-intervention), and month 6 (follow-up)
Change in SSES Subscale Scores	Twelve social skills domains; higher scores indicate better social skills.	Baseline, week 8 (post-intervention), and month 6 (follow-up)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Lokman Hekim University
• Collaborators: Hacettepe University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 15, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 11, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): April 15, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 21, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 21, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): September 28, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 28, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 21, 2026
• Last Verified: September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Depression; Anxiety; Social skills; Dance; Self-esteem; Specific Learning Disorder; Dance/Movement Therapy
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Communication Disorders; Learning Disabilities; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Behavior; Signs and Symptoms; Social Behavior; Specific Learning Disorder; Anxiety Disorders; Depression; Social Skills
• Other Study ID Numbers: LokmanHekimU-AGokcen-001

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES

IPD Plan Description

De-identified individual participant data underlying the published results will be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request after publication.

• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; ICF; CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

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