The effects of aerobic exercise on psychological and behavioral variables of individuals with developmental disabilities: a critical review.
Old aerobic-exercise studies were too sloppy to trust—newer work shows real gains when you use solid single-case or group designs plus child-chosen activities.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The authors read every aerobic-exercise paper they could find on people with developmental disabilities. They looked at how each study was run, not just the results. They graded the methods for things like control groups, clear measures, and follow-up.
Most papers were small, had no comparison group, and used vague tools like teacher ratings. The team wrote a plain list of what future studies must do to be trusted.
What they found
Almost every study had holes big enough to ‘drive a bus through.’ Sample sizes were tiny. Outcomes were often just a mood scale filled out by staff. No one checked if the exercise was really aerobic.
Because the science was weak, the authors refused to say ‘exercise helps behavior.’ Instead, they said, ‘We need better proof before we make that claim.’
How this fits with other research
Bassette et al. (2023) answered the call. They used single-case design, heart-rate checks, and self-management cards. Teens with autism learned to run their own gym routines. Skills lasted weeks after the study ended.
Pickard et al. (2019) pooled 11 newer group-activity trials. They found a small but real boost in social play for kids with ASD. The meta-analysis only included papers that met basic quality rules—exactly what the 1993 review asked for.
Michaud et al. (2025) went further. They mapped 95 practical facilitators like ‘pick activities the child already loves’ and ‘use peer mentors.’ Their scoping review turns the old ‘do better’ plea into a ready-made checklist you can use today.
Why it matters
You can stop guessing if exercise ‘works.’ Use the quality guardrails from 1993: measure heart rate, add a baseline phase, and track behavior with objective data. Then borrow the facilitator list from Michaud et al. (2025) to keep kids engaged. When you combine tight method with child-friendly choices, you turn a vague ‘maybe’ into a program you can defend to any supervisor or parent.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Physical fitness of persons who are developmentally disabled has received relatively little attention in the special education literature when compared to intellectual functioning (e.g., learning, memory, and language) and to acquisition of functional skills (e.g., self-care, community, and vocational). Despite an increased interest in recreational programming stimulated by the concept of functional curricula, teachers may still be reluctant to include physical fitness activities in their students' schedules. Perhaps physical fitness programming for those with developmental disabilities would have wider appeal and application if it were embedded in the broader context of psychological and behavioral change (i.e., engagement in exercise produces generalized changes beyond direct improvement in physical well-being). This article is a review and critique of literature that focuses on the effects of participation in aerobic exercise on three classes of psychological/behavioral variables for persons with mental retardation and associated disabilities. The methodology that characterizes this literature is analyzed, and recommendations for future research are proposed.
Research in developmental disabilities, 1993 · doi:10.1016/0891-4222(93)90009-9