Abstract
It is usual for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to demonstrate deficits in motor behavior. Participation in movement programs has been suggested to elicit improvements in their motor competence (MC) level. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of a Greek traditional dance (GTD) program on the MC of 6-14-year-old children with ASD. The study design included eight participants (two girls, six boys), who were randomly allocated into two equal-sized groups, group A (its members participated only in the regular Physical Education lessons provided by their school) and group B (its members additionally followed an 8-week GTD program of two 40-min sessions per week). Children’s MC was assessed prior and immediately after the completion of the GTD program by the Bruininks- Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2 SF). Due to study’s small sample size and participants’ heterogenous ASD characteristics, the results will be interpreted as outcomes of multiple single case studies. Overall, it was observed that the MC of all participants was considerably poor; however, members of group B made greater improvements in both the total BOT-2 point score and most item raw scores compared to those of group A, with balance and body coordination skills presenting the greater improvements. Even though the results of this study stress the positive effect of GTD on the MC of children with ASD, future studies employing wider sample sizes and/or implementing longer programs are required to further confirm its merit. 
 
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Highlights
Participants of group B attended all 16 sessions of the intervention program, showing high fidelity to it. Though it was not a measurable parameter of this study, it was observed that participation in the program was a very pleasant experience for children, as they were constantly expressing their willingness and impatience to participate in every session
The present study examined whether a dance program, informed by Greek traditional dance (GTD), could have a positive effect on the motor competence (MC) of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Based on the results of the multiple single subject design adopted in this study, it was observed that the general MC level of all participants was considerably low; children who underwent the GTD program showed greater improvement in their MC compared to their peers that did not participate in it
Summary
Apart from common stereotypical behaviors that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face, such as unusual attachments to objects, obsessions, compulsions, self-injurious behaviors, hand flapping, finger movements, rocking, twirling (Pan, Tsai, & Chu, 2009; Newschaffer et al, 2007; Volkmar, Chawarska, & Klin, 2005), a considerable large proportion of children with ASD exhibit motor deficits and/or impairments compared to their typically developing peers (Gandotra et al, 2020; Gkotzia, Venetsanou, & Kambas, 2017; Liu, Hamilton, Davis, & ElGarhy, 2014; Pan, 2014). Even though children with ASD present differences in respect of the time they develop basic motor skills and the quality of those skills (Green et al, 2009; Pan, 2014; Provost, Lopez, & Heimerl, 2007), in the recent systematic review of Gandotra et al (2020), it was shown that for most of these children motor delays are apparent from the early developmental stages and persist throughout the period of childhood. It was revealed that children with ASD face restrictions, especially when performing coordinated movement patterns as well as tasks that require refined locomotor and object control skills (Gandotra et al, 2020). Due to several motor challenges, they face and the distinct difficulties in social interaction with their peers (Lai, Lombardo, Chakrabarti, & BaronCohen, 2013), children with ASD usually avoid participation in physical activity (PA) and sport (Pan, 2008). Physical Education (PE) (Imankhah, Khanzadeh, & Hasirchaman, 2018; Najafabadi et al, 2018) and other organized PA, such as swimming (FragalaPinkham, Haley, & O’Neil, 2011), horse riding (Wuang, Wang, Huang, & Su, 2010), taekwondo (Kim et al, 2016), cycling (Shim, Newman, Haegela, & Varnado, 2019), pilates (Saracoglu, & Sirinkan, 2016), therapeutic ice-skating (Casey, QuennevilleHimbeault, Normore, Davis, & Martell, 2015), table tennis (Pan et al, 2017), have been found to have a positive influence on motor skills (mainly balance ones) and/or parameters of physical fitness of children with ASD
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