Objective: Gross motor activities ability or disability influence on children cognitive performance and their social behavior. This study is aimed to investigation the effect of gross motor activities on attention process (sustained attention, attention shift) of boy students with Down syndrome who are 8 – 12 years old.
Materials & Methods: In this interventional and experimental study, 26 boy students with Down syndrome from 4 schools (Shahid Beheshti, Ahya, Peydayesh and Piroozi) were selected and administered by attention tests(sustained attention , attention shift) and Lincoln Oseretsky development scale. Then they were assigned into two groups randomly. Intervention group received gross motor activities programs for 8 weeks (2 times in a week). Then two groups were administered by attention tests and Lincoln Oseretsky development scale again. Data were analyzed by using paired T-test and Independent T- test.
Results: There was no significant difference in control group in attention tests between before and after intervention (sustained attention P=0.654, attention shift P=0.163) and Oseretsky development scale (P=0.337), but significant differences were observed in intervention group (P<0.001). Score of decreasing interruption of task revealed that there were significant differences in intervention (P<0.001) and control group (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Gross motor activities interventions significantly affect on the process of attention (sustained attention , shift attention) in students with Down syndrome.

Objective: Present study compares relationship between motor performance, sustained attention and impulse control in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and normal children.

Materials & Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, 21 boys with ADHD and 21 normal boys in the age range of 7- 10 years old were participated. Motor performance by using Bruininks Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and sustained attention and impulse control by using Continuous Performance Test were evaluated.

Results: Analysis by T-Test and Mann-Whitney revealed significant difference between ADHD group and normal group in gross, fine and battery motor performance also sustained attention and impulse control (P<0.0001). Analysis by Z-Fisher test indicated no significant difference between Correlation Coefficient of inattention and gross motor performance in two groups (P=0.276) but significant difference between Correlation Coefficient of inattention and fine (P<0.0001) and battery (P<0.0001) motor performance were shown. Correlation Coefficient impulsivity and gross (P=0.379), fine (P=0.92) and battery (P=0.562) motor performance shown no significant difference between two groups.

Conclusion: According to study results there was a positive relation between sustained attention and impulse control and most of motor performance in both groups. Therefore these findings help Occupational Therapist to determine rehabilitation priorities and to use exact strategies in order to enhance motor performance in children.