Influence of Motor Ability on Daily Living Ability in Individuals with Williams Syndrome and Individuals with Down Syndrome

This study aimed to empirically assess the daily living abilities of individuals with Williams Syndrome (N=21) and individuals with Down Syndrome (N=18) using the novel Practical Daily Living Task (P-DLT), and to compare P-DLT performance to that on standardised measures of daily living (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, second edition; VABS-II; Sparrow et al., 2016) and motor competence (Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition short form BOT2-SF; Bruininks & Bruininks, 2005).Both groups demonstrated impaired motor and daily living performance. Group differences were observed on the VABS-II and some items of the P-DLT (WS < DS). Associational analyses of raw scores demonstrated that motor ability was associated with the P-DLT, but not the VABS-II, for both groups. P-DLT and VABS II were associated for the DS group only.We conclude that not all daily living skills are negatively impacted by impaired motor competence in WS or in DS, but that motor competence is strongly associated with many everyday tasks such as getting dressed, using a knife and fork, washing up and clearing up. This has implications for the potential for wide-reaching impact of training to improve motor competence, on independence for these groups.