No abstract

Results of the meta-analysis-a method for synthesizing research-showed physical activity interventions to have a moderate or large effect on a variety of outcomes, including for the development of manipulative skills, locomotor skills, skill-related fitness, social functioning, and muscular strength and endurance. The authors conclude that physical activity's standing as an evidence-based strategy for youth with ASD is reinforced.

Accessible summary• Twelve children with autistic disorder (aged 9-13 years) talked about their time in physical education.• The children spoke about good and bad experiences they had in physical education. • Most of the children found some activities hard to do and felt left out at times. • They enjoyed spending time with other children and making friends. SummaryTwelve students with autistic disorder participated in interviews to reveal their perspective of physical education. Inductive thematic analysis was undertaken to provide a comprehensive account of the data. Three key themes emerged, each a compilation of a set of subthemes. The first theme, individual challenges, was comprised of physical ability, sensory challenges and a fear of injury. The second theme, peer interactions, encapsulated subthemes of initiation of friendship, camaraderie, social comparison and bullying. The final theme that emerged from the data was exclusion, which attends to children's experiences of being excluded by the teacher or as a result of activities being too difficult. Most notably, however, this theme relates to children requesting to be excluded. These findings are discussed in relation to research on the perspectives of students with and without disabilities. Considerations for future research are also provided.

The primary purposes of this study were to compare (a) physical activity participation, screen-time habits, obesity, and (b) reported reasons for lack of participation in sport, between a nationally representative sample of Irish children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participation in moderate to vigorous activity, light activity, and sports was significantly lower among the group with ASD. On examination of screen time variables, no significant differences were seen between groups. However, time spent watching TV was higher among children with ASD. Overweight or obese status was more prevalent among the group with ASD (34.4 vs. 24.7 %). The findings are discussed in relation to international statistics on youth physical activity, screen-time, and weight status, and recommendations are provided for future research.

The purpose of this study was to examine current overweight and obesity prevalence rates among US youth (aged 10-17 years) with and without autism spectrum disorder, based on the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health. Analyses of weight status, derived from parent-reported height and weight measures, were conducted for a weighted sample of 875,963 youth with autism spectrum disorder and 31,913,657 typically developing youth. Controlling for age, race/ethnicity, income, and sex, youth with autism spectrum disorder had significantly higher odds of overweight (odds ratio = 1.48, p = 0.04) and obesity (odds ratio = 1.49, p = 0.02) compared to typically developing youth. Among youth with autism spectrum disorder, 19.4% were overweight and 23.05% were obese. Among typically developing youth, 14.9% were overweight and 15.91% were obese. Higher odds of obesity were reported for youth with severe autism spectrum disorder (odds ratio = 3.35, p < 0.01), compared to those with mild autism spectrum disorder.