Autism

Biography

Biography: Natalia Neophytou

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder, which often results in an array of motor impairments. These motor impairments often lead to reduced performance in activities of daily living as well as in societal tasks which require specific motor abilities and skills. A randomised control trial was conducted to determine the efficacy of a 12 week exercise intervention by assessing the change in posture, physical fitness, body composition, gait and agility, pre- and post-exercise intervention in adolescents with autism (mental age 5.6 ± 1.8 years). All participants were tested pre- and post-intervention. The intervention group (n=16) participated in the exercise intervention bi-weekly for 12 weeks (45minute sessions), while the control group (n=11) received standard care. Posture was assessed using a posture grid and body composition and physical fitness were assessed using the Brockport Physical Fitness Test. Gait was assessed using Dartfish two-dimensional video analysis, and agility was assessed using a standard agility T-test. Overall compliance to the intervention was 88.78%. The intervention group showed a significant increase in the overall posture scores (p=0.0004) and a significant reduction in BMI (p=0.0130) post intervention. They also demonstrated a significant decrease in resting systolic blood pressure (p=0.0069), and systolic blood pressure taken one minute following exercise (p=0.0007). Handgrip strength significantly increased in the non-dominant hand only (p=0.0289) while overall curl-up performance and agility times significantly improved: p=0.0094 and p=0.0061 respectively. In contrast, no significant differences were seen following the intervention for all gait parameters. Overall exercise interventions may be a viable means of therapy for individuals with ASD.