Effect of Foot Orthoses on the Balance Skills of a Child With a Learning Disability

The purpose of this single-subject study was to examine the effect of foot orthoses on the balance skills of a child with a learning disability who presented with abnormal lower extremity alignment and biomechanics. The experimental design was an ABAB format: baseline, intervention, withdrawal, and reinstatement. The subject was fitted with foot orthoses, and his balance skills were tested using a subtest of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency. A celeration line and trend analysis were used to analyze all data. Results demonstrated a significant treatment effect during both treatment conditions. The authors concluded that the improvements demonstrated by this child support the theory that the use of foot orthoses will improve the balance skills of a child with a learning disability who also has abnormal lower extremity alignment and biomechanics