Effects of Integrative Autism Therapy on Multiple Physical, Sensory, Cognitive, and Social Integration Domains in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A 4-Week Follow-Up Study

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the effects of conventional autism therapy (CAT) and integrative autism therapy (IAT) in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A convenience sample of 24 children with ASD was recruited and underwent either CAT or IAT for 60 min/day, twice a week, for 20 sessions over 10 weeks. Outcome measures included the following: (1) physical domain (pediatric balance scale, PBS), (2) sensory domain (short sensory profile), (3) cognitive domains (functional independence measure, FIM; and childhood autism rating scale), and (4) social integration domain (Canadian occupational performance measure, COPM; short falls efficacy scale; and pediatrics quality of life questionnaire). Two-way repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the intervention-related changes in the four domains across the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up test at p < 0.05. ANOVA showed significant interaction effects on the PBS, FIM, and COPM (p < 0.05) variables. Moreover, time main effects (p < 0.05) were observed in all four domain variables, but no group main effect was noted. This study provides promising evidence that IAT is more effective than CAT for managing children and adolescents with ASD.

Finding Stability—A Case Report on the Benefits of Adapted Kata Training for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…It has been reported that static or dynamic balance is the primary variable for daily performances and motor performance in all children [56]. It is known that the number of studies evaluating the effect of various physical activity programs on improving balance in the ASD population has increased in recent years due to the effect of motor problems and impaired balance on daily performance, communication, and interaction skills [48,55,57,60,61]. Studies show that martial arts, another common form of physical activity, has positive physical and psychological effects on children with ASD [58,62,63].…”

Atuação Da Fisioterapia Nos Transtornos Motores Em Crianças Com Tea: Uma Revisão Bibliográfica

“…precoce para uma progressão mais rápida e mais eficaz do tratamento. (Kim et al, 2022;Ketcheson;Hauck;Ulrich, 2016;Pan et al, 2016).…”

“…A fisioterapia no TEA está associada a atividade física, equoterapia, aprendizagem de habilidades motoras e terapia aquática, sendo considerada eficaz na melhora do equilíbrio, controle 10 postural, coordenação muscular e facilitar a aquisição da motricidade grossa e fina (Kim et al, 2022).…”