Accelerometer-measured physical activity among children and adolescents with and without neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Kids with NDDs miss 13 minutes of heart-pumping play each day—program it like any other developmental goal.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team pooled 42 studies that used waist or wrist accelerometers on kids .
They compared daily movement of children with autism, ADHD, intellectual disability, or other NDDs against same-age peers without diagnoses.
Only papers with objective step counts or moderate-to-vigorous minutes were kept.
What they found
Kids with NDDs averaged 13 fewer minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity each day.
The gap widened with age and higher BMI.
Total step counts were also lower, but the difference shrank a little on weekends.
How this fits with other research
King et al. (2013) already showed parents report less community sports for kids with ID; Xiao’s data now prove the problem is real and measurable.
Park et al. (2023) tried a VR bike game and saw zero boost in accelerometer counts; together the papers warn that fun tech alone may not close the gap.
Patton et al. (2020) validated wrist bands against clinical tests; Xiao’s review treats that method as solid enough for big-picture conclusions.
Kubota et al. (2026) scouted VR options; Xiao’s work tells us we still need basic movement programs before fancy tech.
Why it matters
You can now open an assessment report and see the 13-minute deficit in black and white.
Use that number to justify extra recess, walking clubs, or bike skills in the IEP.
Pair the goal with BMI tracking; the review shows the gap grows as weight increases, so early action matters.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
PURPOSE: Physical inactivity is a health concern for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) as it directly increases their risk of developing various health problems. Evidence on differences in accelerometer-assessed physical activity between children and adolescents with and without NDDs is inconclusive. And age- and body mass index (BMI)-related effects on physical activity remain unclear. METHODS: The systematic literature searches were performed in 6 databases up to March 2025. Methodological quality was evaluated by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scales. Data were pooled using a random-effects model. Hedges' g was used to express the effect size index with 95 % confidence interval (CI). Meta-regression on age and BMI was also performed to investigate the potential moderating effects. RESULTS: Out of the 2167 studies initially identified, 28 were included in the analysis, which comprised total physical activity (TPA), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and light physical activity (LPA) included in the meta-analysis, respectively. These studies involved 1060 children and adolescents with NDDs and 1820 without, aged 6.6-16.9 years. A small-to-moderate effect size exists for the difference in TPA (g=-0.299) and MVPA (g=-0.479) between children and adolescents with and without NDD, particularly indicating a difference in 12.7 min of MVPA daily. The difference in LPA was not significant (g=0.450, p = 0.125). The decline in MVPA with age was more pronounced in those with NDDs, and the difference in MVPA was smaller for those with lower BMI. CONCLUSION: The variation in MVPA differences by age and BMI highlights the need to develop better physical activity habits and reduce these disparities for children and adolescents with NDDs.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2026 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2026.105233