Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Among U.S. Children With and Without Down Syndrome: The National Survey of Children's Health.
Kids with Down syndrome are the least active disability group, but short game breaks during ABA can start to fix it.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Diaz (2020) asked parents across the United States how much their kids move. The team compared answers for children with Down syndrome to answers for typical children.
They used the big National Survey of Children's Health. No lab tests, just parent report.
What they found
Parents of children with Down syndrome said their kids were far less active than other children. These kids also watched more TV.
The gap was large enough to place them at the very bottom of all disability groups for daily movement.
How this fits with other research
Meier et al. (2012) saw the same low activity with wrist sensors years earlier. Diaz (2020) now confirms it with a national parent sample, so the problem is real, not just a lab oddity.
Arwert et al. (2020) offers hope. Their 10-week game-based program pushed object-control scores up for elementary kids with Down syndrome. The survey shows the need; their trial shows a fix.
Moya et al. (2022) adds a warning. After COVID-19 lockdowns, activity in youth with Down syndrome stayed down. The 2020 data is pre-pandemic, so today's numbers may be even worse.
Why it matters
Low movement predicts obesity, heart disease, and shorter life span. You already run table-top tasks; add two-minute stand-up games every 15 minutes. Use bean-bag toss or follow-the-leader between trials. No extra staff, no extra cost, just built-in bursts that count as physical activity. Track whether problem behavior drops after these bursts; many kids show calmer engagement when their motor needs are met.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Schedule 2-minute movement games every 15 minutes of table work—try bean-bag pass or animal walks.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
It is unclear whether children with Down syndrome have differing physical activity and sedentary behavior levels compared to typical children. This study addressed this evidence gap in a national sample. Physical activity/sedentary behavior were ascertained by parental report. Findings highlighted that children with Down syndrome were less likely to engage in regular physical activity compared to typical children and had the lowest likelihood of regular physical activity among all subgroups with developmental disabilities/special healthcare needs. Children with Down syndrome were also more likely to watch high volumes of television compared to typical children, although this was nonsignificant upon adjustment for general health. It was concluded that children with Down syndrome are in urgent need for interventions/programs that promote physical activity.
American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2020 · doi:10.1352/1944-7558-125.3.230