Promoting Physical Activity for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Barriers, Benefits, and Strategies for Success

A number of reports have indicated that overweight, obesity, and inactivity occur at higher rates in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than in the general population (Curtin, Anderson, Must, & Bandini, 2010; Curtin, Bandini, Perrin, Tyber, & Must, 2005; Egan, Dreyer, Odar, Beckwith, & Garrison, 2013; Phillips et al., 2014; Rimmer, Yamaki, Lowry, Wang, & Vogel, 2010; Todd, Reid, & Butler-Kisber, 2010). Many children with ASD fall short of the nationally recommended physical activity levels (Bandini et al., 2013; Feehan et al., 2012; Pan & Frey, 2006), largely due to issues with social impairment, emotional regulation, physical regulation, common attributes of individuals on the autism spectrum, and below-optimal motor skills and fitness levels (Obrusnikova & Cavalier, 2011; Pan, 2014; Srinivasan, Pescatello, & Bhat, 2014; Staples & Reid, 2010). The purposes of this article are to (1) review factors that can improve the physical activity statistics of students with ASD, (2) outline the researched benefits of physical activity for students with ASD, and (3) summarize strategies for success in physical education.