Physical activity and screen time among youth with autism: A longitudinal analysis from 9 to 18 years.
Autistic youth lose physical activity faster than peers across adolescence, starting from age 9.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers tracked the same kids from age 9 to 18. They compared youth with autism to matched neurotypical peers. Each year they logged moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and video-game hours.
The design was quasi-experimental. No one was assigned to groups; kids were already autistic or not. Activity was measured with wearable trackers.
What they found
Kids with autism started with less daily movement at age 9. The gap widened every year through age 18. They also logged more video-game time from the very first measurement.
Neurotypical peers kept a steadier activity level. The drop was not due to injury or illness. It was a steady, predictable slide.
How this fits with other research
Liang et al. (2026) pooled 30 accelerometer studies and found the same 13-minute MVPA gap. Their meta-analysis includes the autism group, so the results reinforce rather than clash.
Green et al. (2011) saw a similar slope in boys with probable Developmental Coordination Disorder. Poor ball skills at 7 predicted low activity at 12, echoing the autism decline.
Kuang et al. (2025) looked younger and found no activity gap yet in 3- to 6-year-olds at risk for DCD, even though motor skills were already behind. This suggests the slide starts later, matching the autism data that show trouble appearing around age 9.
Why it matters
If you serve autistic clients aged 8 and up, screen current activity levels now. Schedule brief, high-interest movement breaks before the teen drop deepens. Pair active video games with real-world practice; Smits-Engelsman et al. (2023) show balance gains transfer only when you add live drills. Write participation goals into the ISP so schools and families share the plan.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
To date, studies using cross-sectional methodologies make up a majority of the literature surrounding children with autism spectrum disorders and participation in physical activity and screen time. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine how physical activity and screen time behaviors co-develop for children with and without an autism spectrum disorder. To address this research gap, this study compared how physical activity and screen time levels changed over time (from 9 to 18 years of age) between youth with autism spectrum disorder and youth with neurotypical development. Data on the levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, light physical activity, television-, and video game-based screen time, collected as a part of the "Growing up in Ireland" study, were compared between youth with autism spectrum disorder and a propensity-matched sample of youth with neurotypical development (n = 88 per group; 176 in total). Robust regression analyses indicated that children with autism spectrum disorder became less active over time compared to children with neurotypical development and that video game screen time also differed significantly between the groups when children were 9 years old. These findings elucidate important disparities present between these groups of children during pivotal developmental times.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2021 · doi:10.1177/1362361320981314