Social Outcomes of a Fundamental Motor Skill Intervention for 4 Year Old Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience delays in their social interactions and communication skills; however, they also experience significant delays in fundamental motor skill proficiency. Active play is a critical component in the development of young children as it provides an opportunity for the development of social, communication, and motor skills. We propose that a low level of motor proficiency in children with ASD may inhibit their ability to engage in active play; thus, further limiting their opportunities for the development of social and communication skills. 

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a fundamental motor skill intervention was effective in improving the social and communication skills of 4 year old children with ASD. A secondary objective was to determine whether the intensity of the motor skill intervention had an impact on social and communication outcomes. 

Methods: Nine children that were 4 years of age with ASD participated in this study. Participants were assigned to one of two groups: Group 1 received the motor skill intervention for 1 hour per week for 12 weeks; Group 2 received the motor skill intervention for 2 hours per week for 6 weeks. Sessions focused on teaching fundamental motor skills (running, jumping, throwing, etc.) through direct instruction, active games, and free play. Social behaviour was assessed with the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-2 (VABS-2). Parents completed the VABS-2 pre- and post-intervention, as well as at a 6-week follow-up. An analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to examine changes in social behaviour across the three assessments, as well as investigate group by time interactions. Participant scores were also examined for individual changes.

Results: Six participants returned their questionnaires at all three assessments and were included in this analysis. Individual gains in social behaviour were found across all variables. Group receptive communication raw scores remained the same from pre- to post-intervention but, improved at the 6 week follow-up (from 26.67 to 30.00), which was not statistically significant (F(2,10) = 3.195, p = 0.085). Personal care raw scores improved from pre- to post-intervention (41.33 to 46.67) and improved further at the 6 week follow-up to 49.33, which was statistically significant (F(1.064,5.322) = 8.566, p = 0.030). The adaptive behavior complex percentile score improved from 14.83% to 20.17% and further to 22.00% from pre- to post- to follow-up, respectively (F(2,10) = 3.376, p = 0.076). No group by time interactions were found on any of the social variables, indicating that there was no difference in intervention intensity on social improvement.

Conclusions: Results from this preliminary study indicate that functional gains in social and communication skills can be made for young children with ASD through a fundamental motor skill intervention. Practitioners are encouraged to employ similar motor skill programs in order to intervene on both the motor and social deficits experienced by young children with ASD. These results warrant further research with a larger sample.