The Use of a Multicomponent Behavioral Intervention to Promote Physical Activity in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders across Inclusive Community Settings
An app, fading prompts, and small rewards can teach community gym skills to teens with autism that last across new places.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Three teens with autism joined regular gyms. The team gave each teen an iPad app called Exercise Buddy.
The app showed short exercise clips. Staff used least-to-most prompts and small step goals. Teens earned snacks and praise for correct moves.
Sessions happened in two real gyms. Staff tracked how many moves each teen could do alone.
What they found
All three teens learned the exercises. They kept the skills when the gym changed.
No extra teaching was needed in the new place. The package worked without the app later.
How this fits with other research
Bassette et al. (2023) later swapped the app for paper scripts. Teens still learned and kept the skills. This shows the app is helpful but not required.
Healy et al. (2018) pooled 29 studies and found exercise packages like this boost fitness and social skills. The single-case result lines up with the big picture.
Torres et al. (2018) used video clips on an iPad too. Their teens also learned fast. Both studies say tech prompts can teach gym skills without one-to-one help.
Why it matters
You can send teens with autism to community gyms. Bring an app or simple script, use prompts only when needed, and reinforce small wins. The skills stay even when staff fade out.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are generally less physically active than individuals without disability due to factors such as lack of motor coordination and inadequate transportation resources that can result in various barriers to participation. This affects their independence and may interfere with expectations (e.g., employment) during adulthood. It is essential to explore ways to teach physical activity so people with ASD can generalize skills in community settings. This study examined the effect of a multicomponent behavioral intervention that included (a) the Exercise Buddy application, (b) a system of least prompts, (c) an incremental increase of criteria, and (d) reinforcement to teach three adolescents with ASD functional movement exercises (e.g., squat). All participants increased their mastery of performing these exercises compared to baseline and generalized these skills across two community settings.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2018 · doi:10.1007/s40617-018-00285-7