Relationship between Affordances in the Home Environment and Motor Development in Children Age 18-42 Months

Abstract

Problem statement: Environmental stimulation plays a critical role in optimal human development during the early stages of life and an optimal level (of development) occurs with strong contextual support. It is well accepted among develop mentalists that motor-perceptual-and cognitive development are fundamentally interrelated. This suggests that status of motor development is an important factor in overall child well-being. The objectives of this study were to investigate (i) the validity and reliability of AHEMD-SR in Iran and (ii) the relationship between affordances and level of motor development. The instrument could provide useful information in a wide variety of settings, including applications to intervention and remediation. Approach: Data were collected throughout random sampling from 350 families with children within the age range 18-42 months in early childhood centers in Ahvaz, Iran. Families were asked to complete an inventory containing 67 items (AHEMD-SR) which represent five factors: Outside physical space, inside physical space, variety of stimulation, gross motor materials and fine motor materials. Validity, reliability, correlations and regression were examined. Results: The findings of the research suggested that the validity test of AHEMD-SR equals 0.75 and its reliability test is 0.89. A significant (0.01 or 0.05) positive moderate correlation was found between the five factors of AHEMD and Total AHEMD. Furthermore, there was a multiple relationship between the five factors of AHEMD and total AHEMD. Conclusion/Recommendations: For the first time in Iran it has been showed that AHEMD-SR is a valid (0.75) and reliable (0.89) instrument for assessing how well environments home afford movement and potentially promotes motor development. A significant (0.01 or 0.05) positive moderate correlation was found between the five factors of AHEMD and Total AHEMD. There are also strong and significant multi relationships between dependent variable and predictors (the five factors). The best predictor of Total AHEMD is fine motor toys.