Increasing physical activity for adults with autism spectrum disorder: Comparing in-person and technology delivered praise.
Let each adult client choose live or app praise, then stick with the style that keeps them walking.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Three adults with autism and intellectual disability took part. The goal was to see which praise style kept them walking more laps around a gym.
Some days staff cheered them in person. Other days a phone app spoke the same praise. The team flipped the two styles every session and counted laps.
What they found
All three adults walked more laps when praise showed up. Yet each person liked a different style. One walked farthest with live cheers, another with the app, and the third did fine with either.
The app praise kept two adults moving even after the study ended. Live praise did not stick as well for them.
How this fits with other research
Lindgren et al. (2024) ran the same in-person vs. tech test with kids learning labels. They saw no winner, just like we saw mixed results here. The pattern says the medium matters less than the learner.
Weyman et al. (2018) also used an alternating plan with adults who had ASD/ID. They swapped neutral and excited praise while teaching matching tasks. Again, personal taste ruled, not the style itself.
Hawkins (1982) first showed that praise plus prompts lifts leisure play in autistic-like kids. Our study pushes that idea forward: praise still works decades later, but now we let the adult pick the delivery.
Why it matters
You can boost exercise without buying fancy gear. Offer both live and app praise, then watch which one the client walks toward. Letting the adult choose gives you free maintenance later.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS/METHODS: While there are many benefits to regular engagement in physical activity, individuals with autism spectrum disorder often do not engage in healthy levels of physical activity. The purpose of this study was to compare praise delivered through multiple means on increasing engagement in physical activity for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. A single-case alternating treatment design was used to compare two conditions for delivering praise statements, in-person and through technology, for three young adults with autism spectrum disorder and accompanying intellectual disability. PROCEDURES/OUTCOMES: The study consisted of training; baseline, comparison, best-treatment, thinning, and generalization phases; and social validity interviews. For each session, data were collected on the number of laps completed, duration, and resting/ending heart rates. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: The number of laps completed increased for all participants during intervention, however, results were mixed regarding the more effective and preferred condition. Participants who excelled in the technology condition also maintained performance levels when praise statements were thinned and generalized performance to a new setting. IMPLICATIONS: Praise statements can be used to increase levels of physical activity in young adults with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability. Exposing individuals to multiple conditions can impact their preferred method for receiving support.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2018 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2017.12.019