Balance Assessment in Children with Down Syndrome Who Practice Dance

Background. It is observed that dance delivers a valuable contribution to the development of bodily motor functions. Objectives. To evaluate the static and dynamic balance in children with Down syndrome - DS enrolled in a Dance Workshop for people with disabilities. Methods. Balance tests proposed by Oliveira (2009) were used on 14 children with DS aged between 8 and 12 (mean 9.36 ± 1.2 years.). Who has been practicing dance for not less than two years? A Control Group was formed with 14 children with DS who do not dance with the same age group (mean 9.43 ± 1.09 years). Results. While the maximum effect of the proposed tests is 12 points and 42.08% of the sample obtained a score below 5. It is considered relevant the percentage of 57.13% of the participants to have scored five, six, or seven. It can be stated that dance proved too significant a considerable means of stimulating balance development in children with DS. It was considering the results regarding the CG that pointed to 42.25% of the sample with a score of zero and 57.25% with a rating of 4, 3, or 2. Conclusion. The constant and systematic dance practice can present a considerable development in the balance of children with DS. This favors their inclusion and permanence in physical exercise and sports programs.