A Randomized Feasibility Trial of a Fundamental Motor Skill Parent-Mediated Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility of a fundamental motor skills (FMS) intervention with two groups on the acquisition of FMS of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We randomly assigned families ( = 15) of children with ASD aged 4-11 years into two groups (a wo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2021-11, Vol.18 (23), p.12398
Main Authors: Columna, Luis, Prieto, Laura A, Beach, Pamela, Russo, Natalie, Foley, John T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder - therapy
Autistic children
Child
Children
Design
Exercise
Families & family life
Feasibility
Feasibility Studies
Humans
Intervention
Motor ability
Motor skill
Motor Skills
Parents
Parents & parenting
Physical activity
Physical education
Physical fitness
Pilot Projects
Skills
Workshops
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Summary:The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility of a fundamental motor skills (FMS) intervention with two groups on the acquisition of FMS of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We randomly assigned families ( = 15) of children with ASD aged 4-11 years into two groups (a workshop or a home-based group) focused on FMS development. Both groups participated in a 10-week intervention and were given the same instructional manual and adapted physical activity equipment. The workshop group also attended four in-person workshops targeting the needs of children with ASD and their parents. Children were tested on their FMS using the third edition of the Test of Gross Motor Development at the start and end of the intervention and then three months following the intervention. The recruitment rate was 50%, and the retention rate was 80% for all participants. The intervention for groups was safe and accepted by the participants as evaluated by post-program interviews. The outcomes of this pilot study suggest that parents can facilitate the acquisition of FMS of their children with ASD. Although these results are positive, there is a need to further identify effective interventions for FMS development in children with ASD.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph182312398