Recreational ball games are effective in improving social communication impairments among preschoolers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder: a multi-arm controlled study.
Five days of playful ball games added to standard rehab lifts social communication scores in preschoolers with autism.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Qi et al. (2024) ran a 12-week trial with preschoolers who have autism. Kids got either ball-combo training, mini-basketball training, or regular rehab only.
Sessions happened five days a week. Coaches used kid-sized balls and simple games like rolling, tossing, and mini-hoops.
What they found
Both ball groups scored better on the SRS-2 than the control group. The combo group boosted social awareness and behavior. The mini-basket group lifted social thinking and talking skills.
Gains showed up right after the 12 weeks ended.
How this fits with other research
Chambers et al. (2020) used peer buddies to teach soccer skills to teens with autism. Both studies show ball sports help, but Qi starts earlier and uses coaches, not peers.
O'Reilly (1997) found basketball cut problem behaviors in older kids with intellectual disability. Qi looked at younger kids and social communication, not behavior problems.
So et al. (2019) used robot drama to boost narrative skills in the same age group. Both RCTs found medium gains, but one used robots and stories, the other used balls and play.
Why it matters
If you run morning preschool sessions, try adding 20 minutes of ball games after table work. Use soft balls, keep rules simple, and rotate games each day. Track SRS-2 scores every month to see if social talking and eye contact improve.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study aimed to compare the effects of two 12-week training intervention experimental ball games combined with standard behavioral rehabilitation against a control group solely utilizing standard behavioral rehabilitation on social communication impairments (SCI) in preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). A multi-arm controlled study design was implemented, involving 41 children diagnosed with ASD (mean age: 4.99 ± 0.76 years). 41 participants were randomized assigned to two experimental groups and a control group, The experimental group carried out ball combination training program group (BCTP) and mini-basketball training program group (MBTP) on the basis of routine behavioral rehabilitation, which underwent 12-week training interventions 5 times a week. The control group (n = 14) received only standard behavioral rehabilitation. Evaluations were conducted before and after interventions using the Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2). The results suggest that both 12-week interventions, BCTP, and MBTP, led to significant improvements in social communication impairment among children with ASD (p < 0.05). Despite enhancing the overall scores on the SRS-2, these interventions displayed varying impacts across different sub-dimensions. BCTP primarily exhibited significant enhancements in social awareness and behavior pattern (p < 0.05), whereas MBTP significantly improved social cognition and social communication (p < 0.05). Both interventions showed slight improvements in social motivation. The utilization of recreational ball games has showed to be effective in decreasing the impairment levels of children with ASD, while the control group experienced a worsening of outcomes. This suggests that irrespective of the specific ball game strategy employed, both can be employed on a weekly basis to complement standard behavioral rehabilitation and enhance the ability to improve the quality of life for children diagnosed with ASD. The trial is retrospectively registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR1900024973;August 5, 2019). The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13102-024-00957-8.
BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2024 · doi:10.1186/s13102-024-00957-8