Influence of a Specific Aquatic Program on Social and Gross Motor Skills in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Three Case Reports.

Giuseppe Battaglia,Gianna Agrò,Marianna Alesi,Antonio Palma,Pietro Cataldo

doi:10.3390/jfmk4020027

Giuseppe Battaglia, Gianna Agrò + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk4020027

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Abstract

Swimming pool activities revealed to be efficacious to train psychomotor skills and increase adaptive behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a specific multi-systemic aquatic therapy (CI-MAT) on gross motor and social skills in three adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Methods: three adolescents with ASD of which two boys (M1 with a chronological age of 10.3 years and a mental age of 4.7 years; M2 with a chronological age of 14.6 and a mental age inferior to 4 years) and one girl (chronological age of 14.0 and a mental age inferior to 4 years). The study was divided into three phases: baseline, 12-week CI-MAT program and Post-Test. Participants were administered a battery of tests incorporating anthropometric measurements, gross motor development test and a social skills questionnaire before and after a 12-week MAT-CI program. Results: Subjects improved locomotors and object control skills following the CI-MAT program in a different way. Concerning social behaviors, the higher proportion of gains was observed in the sensitivity of other’s presence and eye contact, for the contact domain, and in the comply turn for the relationship domain. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the CI-MAT program was effective for the development of gross-motor skills and social behaviors in subjects with ASD. Moreover there is an urge to carry out a whole psychological assessment targeting both motor and adaptive development suitable to provide educational and vocational plans of exercises for people with ASD.

Highlights

Increasing research has targeted benefits of regular Physical Activity on physical and mental health in people with developmental and intellectual disabilities [1,2,3]
The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a specific multi-systemic aquatic therapy (CI-MAT) on gross motor and social skills in three adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Results showed that the applied aquatic training program was effective to enhance object control and locomotors skills in subjects with ASD

Summary

Introduction

Increasing research has targeted benefits of regular Physical Activity on physical and mental health in people with developmental and intellectual disabilities [1,2,3]. Within the typical symptomatic profile of persistent deficits in social communication and interaction across multiple contexts, children and young people with ASD showed motor impairments contributing to decrease their socialization skills [5,6]. Pusponegoro et al (2016) [13] compared gross motor proficiency endorsed by 40 children with ASD (chronological age: from 1–6 years) and 40 Typically Developing Children They found gross motor impairments in 20% of the ASD children associated to lower socialization skills [13]. Mache and Todd [14] investigated the relationship between gross motor proficiency, postural stability, and restricted/repetitive behavioral patterns in a group of 11 children with ASD (5–12 years of age) compared to children without ASD. They found that the performance on gross motor tasks was influenced by the postural sway area while standing on a solid surface and children with ASD exhibited significantly greater amounts of postural sway with lower gross motor scores [14]

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