European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity 16, 11 (2023) | DOI: 10.5507/euj.2023.004

Effects of a school-based integrative neuromuscular training exercise intervention on physical fitness among children with autism spectrum disorder

Craig Coffey¹, Damien Sheehan², Avery D. Faigenbaum³, Sean Healy⁴, Rhodri S Lloyd⁵, Sharon Kinsella⁶

¹ Department of Business & Humanities – Sport & Early Childhood, Technological University of the Shannon, Limerick, Ireland

² Department of Science and Health, South East Technological University, Carlow, Ireland

³ Department of Health and Exercise Science, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, New Jersey, USA

⁴ Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences (PESS), University of Limerick, Ireland

⁵ Cardiff School of Sport & Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Wales, Sport Performance Research Institute, New Zealand (SPRINZ), AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand, Centre for Sport Science and Human Performance, Waikato Institute of Technology, Hamilton, New Zealand

⁶ Department of Science and Health, South East Technological University, Carlow, Ireland

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of an eight-week, school-based integrative neuromuscular training (INT) intervention on the fitness levels of seventy-eight, 4-12-year-old children with mild, moderate, or severe symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children participated in an INT intervention, consisting of three, one-hour sessions per week. Physical fitness was assessed pre-and post-intervention using a modified Eurofit test battery and analysed using a 3x2 ANOVA. This INT intervention resulted in significant improvements of physical fitness (p < .05) pre- to post-intervention (20 m sprint [p = .044], standing broad jump, sit and reach, handgrip and stork balance [p < .001]). Notably, children with severe symptoms of ASD showed significant improvements in standing broad jump (p = .001 [mild vs severe], p = .012 [moderate vs severe]), sit and reach flexibility (p = .002 [mild vs severe], p = .042 [moderate vs severe]), and handgrip strength (p = .001 [mild vs severe], p = .004 [moderate vs severe]) tests in comparison to children with mild and moderate symptoms of ASD. The results of this study support the implementation of a school-based INT intervention to reduce physical fitness disparities, while future studies should employ experimental research designs.

Keywords: Eurofit; ASD; reliability; severity; integration

Received: October 8, 2021; Revised: December 13, 2022; Accepted: March 8, 2023; Published online: October 6, 2023  Show citation