Perceptual-Motor Behavior in down Syndrome

Many of the daily challenges faced by persons with Down syndrome are caused by difficulties in their perceptual-motor behavior. These challenges and their behavioral consequences have been the center of multi-disciplined research efforts over the past century.

Perceptual-Motor Behavior in Down Syndrome is a comprehensive collection of contemporary research and provides readers a window into the behavioral variability exhibited by this special group. Now you can apply this research to circumvent, or at least minimize, some of the general and specific processing challenges associated with Down syndrome.

Internationally recognized contributors from 10 different countries cover aspects of sensory, cognitive, and movement processes in infants, children, and adults with Down syndrome.

Specifically addressed are the differences and similarities among persons with Down syndrome, people with other disabilities, and non-disabled people. Contributors present fellow researchers, educators, parents, and students with an increased understanding that perceptual-motor behavior in Down syndrome is often adaptive and appropriate. Use this up-to-date resource in current program planning, educational initiatives, and future research efforts.

Part I focuses on some of the underlying functional components of perceptual-motor behavior, beginning with a discussion of muscular activation patterns and moving to more complex manual, locomotor, and visuomotor themes.

Part II discusses characteristics of motor behavior in Down syndrome in the context of maturation, learning, and adaptive change. Both Part I and Part II offer useful strategies that may facilitate skill acquisition.

Part III explores theoretical advances and the accompanying new research strategies for understanding and investigating perceptual-motor behavior in Down syndrome.

This text will facilitate an understanding of the environmental experience and development of perceptual-motor behavior in people with Down syndrome. With this text, you can help address the challenges faced by this extraordinary population.

Daniel J. Weeks, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Graduate Chair in the School of Kinesiology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada. He has been conducting research in the area of perceptual-motor behavior in persons with Down syndrome for nearly fifteen years.

He receives grant support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC) and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). His work has been published in numerous scholarly journals and texts, including the Journal of Experimental Psychology; Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology; Experimental Brain Research; Journal of Motor Behavior; Psychological Research; and Down Syndrome: Research and Practice. He is on the editorial board for the Journal of Motor Behavior and Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers. Dr. Weeks sits on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Down Syndrome Research Foundation & Resource Center and is a member of their Research Forum. He is also a member of the Psychonomics Society and the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA). In 1996, he received the Early Career Distinguished Scholar Award from NASPSPA.

Dr. Weeks resides in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada, and enjoys fishing, drumming, and euchre.

Romeo Chua, PhD, is an assistant professor in the School of Human Kinetics at the University of British Columbia, and a research supervisor for the Simon Fraser/McMaster University Down syndrome project. Over the past several years he has participated in collaborated research efforts of perceptual-motor behavior and functional cerebral specialization in persons with Down syndrome.

He receives grant support from NSERC and NIH. Dr. Chua is a member of the NASPSPA and the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology (SCAPPS). In 1996, he received the Governor General's Gold Medal from Simon Fraser University and the Young Scientist Award from SCAPPS in 1992.

Dr. Chua and his wife Brenda reside in Vancover, British Columbia, Canada. He enjoys reading, music, and tennis.

Digby Elliott, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University. His current research is funded by NSERC and NIH.

In the past 18 years, Elliott has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and been co-editor on two books. In 1997, he was listed by Current Contents as one of the most published authors in psychology. He is on the editorial board for the Journal of Motor Behavior and belongs to the NASPSPA and SCAPPS. He was president of SCAPPS from 1997 to 1998.

Dr. Elliott and his wife Elaine reside in Dundas, Ontario, Canada. He enjoys skin and scuba diving, jogging, and reading in his spare time.