Journal
PEDIATRIC PHYSICAL THERAPY
Volume 23, Issue 2, Pages 187-193Publisher
LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
DOI: 10.1097/PEP.0b013e318218f149
Keywords
aerobic exercise; attention; autism spectrum disorder; child; educational activities; physical therapy/methods; special education; stereotypic movement disorder/therapy
Categories
Funding
- PLEET through Lebanon Valley College
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Purpose: To determine whether participation in aerobic exercise before classroom activities improves academic engagement and reduces stereotypic behaviors in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Methods: This study employed a within-subjects crossover design, using a treatment condition (aerobic exercise) and a control condition, across 4 classrooms. The treatment condition included 15 minutes of running/jogging followed by a classroom task. The control condition included a classroom task not preceded by exercise. The number of stereotypic behaviors, percentage of on-task behavior, and correct/incorrect responses were measured. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare differences between conditions. Results: Statistically significant improvements were found in correct responding following exercise (P < .05). No significant differences were found for on-task behavior or stereotypic behaviors. Conclusions: Consistent with findings in older children, these results indicate that aerobic exercise prior to classroom activities may improve academic responding in young children with autism spectrum disorder. (Pediatr Phys Ther 2011;23:187-193)
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available