The Effect of Sensory Montage Occupational Therapy on Fine Motor Skills in Children with Down Syndrome at SLB Aisyiyah Singaparna

Abstract

Children with Down syndrome commonly experience difficulties in fine motor skills that may affect activities requiring hand coordination, manipulation, and precision. This study aimed to determine the effect of sensory montage occupational therapy on fine motor skills in children with Down syndrome at SLB Aisyiyah Singaparna. A pre-experimental study with a one-group pretest-posttest design was conducted involving 21 children selected using total sampling. Participants received six sessions of sensory montage occupational therapy, with each session lasting 30–60 minutes. Fine motor skills were assessed using a 24-item instrument. Data were analyzed using the Shapiro-Wilk test and paired t-test. The mean fine motor skill score increased from 63.76 ± 9.782 before the intervention to 70.29 ± 9.100 after the intervention. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference between pretest and posttest scores (t = −13.158; p < 0.001), indicating an average improvement of 6.524 points. The findings suggest that sensory montage occupational therapy can improve fine motor skills in children with Down syndrome through structured activities involving cutting, arranging, and pasting. Sensory montage occupational therapy may therefore be considered a practical activity-based approach to support fine motor skill development in school settings.