Leisure Activity Enjoyment of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Use swimming and other high-interest activities to hook kids with autism into leisure, because formal sports usually feel less fun for them.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Eversole et al. (2016) asked the kids what they like to do for fun. Fifty-eight had autism; fifty-three were typical peers. Ages ran five to eleven.
Each child rated pictures of games, sports, and hobbies. The team scored how much the child said they would enjoy each activity.
What they found
Kids with ASD liked formal sports and physical games less than typical kids. Enjoyment dropped as autism symptoms got stronger and as kids got older.
One big exception stood out: swimming. Children with autism liked swimming just as much as typical kids.
How this fits with other research
Nijs et al. (2016) saw the same lower fun ratings in autism, but they showed the drop is tied to flat facial expressions. Check affect before you decide a child is bored.
Tse (2019) adds a fix: when you teach a new sport, tell the child to watch his own arm, not the ball. Internal cues help motor learning in ASD.
Nickerson et al. (2015) looked at kids with motor delays instead of autism. Those children felt better after summer active play, the opposite of Megan’s finding. The clash shows diagnosis and timing both shape whether physical play helps or hurts.
Why it matters
Pick leisure tasks the child already likes. Start with swimming or other water play. Skip rule-heavy team sports unless the child shows interest. Track facial affect and give internal cues during new motor skills. Re-check fun levels each month; likes shift as kids age.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Enjoyment is a fundamental component of activity participation. This study compared leisure activity enjoyment experienced by typically developing children (TD; n = 64) and those with autism spectrum disorders (ASD; n = 67) from age 6 to 13. The TD children enjoyed formal and physical activities significantly more than the children with ASD. Symptom severity was negatively related to enjoyment of overall, formal, physical and social activities. Older children with ASD enjoyed overall, informal, recreational, and self-improvement activities significantly less than younger children, but no differences were seen across TD age groups. Children with ASD enjoyed swimming significantly more than TD children. Understanding patterns of activity enjoyment is useful for being better able to address a child's motivation to participate in various life activities.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2016 · doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2529-z