Physical activity rates in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder compared to the general population.
Boys 6-11 with autism get half the daily movement of peers, so weave short, frequent activity breaks into every session.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Jean-Arwert et al. (2020) compared daily physical activity in kids with autism and same-age peers. They used motion sensors to track movement all day. The sample covered boys and girls aged 6 to 18.
What they found
School-age boys with autism got only half the daily activity of typical boys. The gap was biggest in the 6- to 11-year range. Girls with autism also moved less, but the difference was smaller.
How this fits with other research
Miltenberger et al. (2013) saw the same kids with autism rack up equal minutes of moderate-to-vigorous movement, yet parents listed fewer sports and shorter play times. The new study clarifies the picture: total daily movement is still lower, so the equal MVPA bouts must be shorter or less frequent.
Pan (2008) first spotted lower recess MVPA in autism. Jean-G et al. now show the shortfall lasts the whole day, not just recess.
Coffey et al. (2021) link the low activity to weaker fitness scores. Kids with autism ran slower, jumped shorter, and scored worse on every fitness test, so the activity gap has real strength consequences.
Why it matters
Build movement into the daily schedule. Add a 10-minute walk before work sessions, schedule active games at lunch, or embed jumping jacks between tasks. Small, frequent bouts add up and can close the half-size gap Jean-G et al. found.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Physical activity may improve symptoms and skill deficits associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The objective of this study was to compare the reported frequency of physical activity and covariates in a large sample of children with ASD with children of similar age from the general population. The sample with ASD was derived from the Autism Treatment Network Registry Call Back Assessment (n = 611), and the general population data were derived from the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) (n = 71,811). In addition, demographic, child, and family (parent) factors were examined in relation to frequency of recent physical activity in children with ASD. Among males in the 6-11 year-old age group, those with ASD participated in physical activity less often (p <0.001) than those in the NSCH general population. Specifically, 33 % of boys 6-11 years old in the NSCH group vs. only 17 % in the RCBA group 6-11 years old engaged in some physical activity every day, while 4 % of boys in the NSCH group vs. 18 % in the RCBA group engaged in no physical activity whatsoever. A similar effect was seen across other age groups and in females but was not statistically significant. The demographic, child, and family characteristics associated with physical activity in children and adolescents with ASD included ethnicity in females, DSM-IV ASD diagnosis, IQ, and PAM-13 total score in females. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to find suitable physical activity programs for children with ASD. This may be especially important for 6-11 year-old boys with ASD who engage in significantly less physical activity than their peers in the general population.
Research in autism spectrum disorders, 2020 · doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2019.101490