Abstract / Summary
Abstract Background and Purpose: Children with mild intellectual disabilities commonly experience impairments in balance and motor control that restrict functional movement, participation in Physical Education, and independent daily activities. Although play-based interventions have shown potential for improving motor competence, evidence from rigorously designed randomized controlled trials conducted in school settings remains limited. This study aimed to examine the effects of a school-based Modified Play Activity Program (MPAP) on balance and motor control in children with mild intellectual disabilities. Materials and Methods: A two-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial with a pretest–posttest design was conducted involving 28 children with mild intellectual disabilities (7–12 years) recruited from three special elementary schools in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Participants were randomly allocated to either an intervention group (n = 14), which completed a 12-week Modified Play Activity Program, or a control group (n = 14), which continued conventional school-based Physical Education. Balance was assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test, while motor control was evaluated using the School-Based Motor Control Assessment (SMCA). Data were analyzed using mixed-design analysis of variance with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Participants receiving the Modified Play Activity Program demonstrated significantly greater improvements in motor control than those in the control group (F(1,26)=4.901, p=0.036, partial η²=0.159). No statistically significant intervention effect was observed for balance performance measured using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test (F(1,26)=3.816, p=0.062, partial η²=0.128), although a moderate effect size was identified. Conclusions: The Modified Play Activity Program resulted in greater improvement in motor control than conventional Physical Education among participating children with mild intellectual disabilities and may represent a practical school-based adapted physical education intervention. No statistically significant improvement in TUG performance was observed, although the interaction effect was of medium magnitude. These findings provide preliminary support for structured play-based approaches to motor development while indicating the need for larger samples, longer intervention periods, and further validation of the motor control assessment. Trial Registration: Indonesia Clinical Research Registry (INA-CRR), INA02F776F, submitted on 31 August 2026. Retrospectively registered.