The effectiveness of physical activity interventions on communication and social functioning in autistic children and adolescents: A meta-analysis of controlled trials.
Short, structured play or sports sessions lift communication and social skills in autistic youth, with younger kids gaining the most.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Chan et al. (2021) pooled 12 controlled trials of physical activity for autistic youth. The total sample was 350 children and teens. All studies used sports, games, or exercise as the main treatment.
What they found
Kids who joined the movement programs showed small-to-moderate gains in talking and social skills. Younger children improved more than teens.
How this fits with other research
Tse (2020) tested a 12-week jogging club. Parents saw better emotion control and fewer behavior problems. Sy’s team folded that trial into their meta-analysis, so the jogging data help make the bigger picture.
Sung et al. (2019) used job-focused social skills classes with young adults. They also saw social gains, but without gym time. Together the papers show you can boost social skills through sweat or through talk—age and goal steer the choice.
Patton et al. (2020) gave small language lessons four days a week. They found strong speaking gains. Sy’s work says exercise helps too, so you now have two roads—direct language teaching and active play—to support communication.
Why it matters
You can add brief movement bursts to your session without extra staff or cost. Try 10 minutes of tag, obstacle walks, or dance right before social or language targets. Start young if you can; the boost is bigger. Track both steps and words—you may see gains in each.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Difficulty with communication and social functioning are two outstanding core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, while there is no efficacious pharmacologic treatment available to deal with them. Traditional behavioral therapies usually require specialist therapist and be conducted in specific settings, increasing burdens on families and individuals with autism. Physical activity has long been found to promote physical and mental well-beings, and it is more affordable and versatile than traditional therapies. There is preliminary support for the use of physical activity interventions to improve communication and social functioning in individuals with autism. In this study, we quantitatively aggregate data from existing controlled trials to provide an up-to-date inquiry into the effectiveness of physical activity interventions on communication and social functioning in autistic children and adolescents. We included 12 trials involving 350 participants (8 trials reported communication outcomes and 11 trials reported social functioning outcomes) and found small to moderate benefits on communication and social functioning. Further analyses showed that the benefit of physical activity interventions is greater in younger participants. Results of this study suggest that physical activity interventions are effective to improve communication and social functioning in autistic children and adolescents, and early participation in the interventions can be more beneficial. Given their affordability, versatility, and efficacy, physical activity interventions could be considered a cost-effective option for autism spectrum disorder management in the future.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2021 · doi:10.1177/1362361320977645