Peer-reviewed article
Adapted Physical Activity Programs for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Neurotypical Children: Differences between Online and Face-to-Face Training
Marta Zanghì, Federico Roggio, Alessandro Castorina, Piero Pavone, Giuseppe Musumeci ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study compared online and face-to-face adapted physical activity programs for children aged 8-12, including both children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurotypical children. The program focused on developing coordination and motor skills during the COVID-19 pandemic when physical activity had decreased. Both delivery formats showed improvements in motor skills, with face-to-face sessions generally producing better results than online-only sessions. Physical activity practice appeared to strengthen parent-child bonding and was equally enjoyed whether done at home or in person.
Key points
- Face-to-face adapted physical activity programs showed statistically significant better outcomes for motor skill development than online-only programs
- Children with ASD showed the smallest improvements in the online-only format (ASD-O), significantly worse than all other groups
- Both neurotypical children and children with ASD showed strong interest and participation in physical activity
- A mixed approach combining online and face-to-face training yielded positive results across all participant groups
- No statistical difference was found between home-based practice and in-person attendance in terms of participant interest
Limitations
The study had a small sample size (28 children total, only 8 with ASD), which limits generalizability of findings. The document does not specify the duration of the intervention, frequency of sessions, or provide details on the specific characteristics of participants beyond age and ASD diagnosis.
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, physical activity was significantly decreased in all age groups. The purpose of this study is to investigate children’s motor skills by administering an adapted physical activity program for the development of coordination skills. The sample consisted of 28 children aged 8 to 12 years, 20 neurotypical children and 8 with ASD-HF. Data collection employed various methods, including a personal information form, a leisure time exercise questionnaire, a semi-structured interview, and the Harre Dexterity Circuit for assessing physical activity improvements. The results of the two-way analysis of variance (two-way ANOVA) Tukey HSD test showed the differences between the specific groups, ASD-P vs. ASD-O (p < 0.001), ASD-O vs. AB-O (p < 0.001), ASD-O vs. AB-P (p < 0.001), ASD-O vs. AB-P (p = 0.136), ASD-P vs. AB-P (p < 0.0010, and AB-P vs. AB-O (p = 0.003). As result, both groups showed strong interest in practicing physical activity, and no statistical difference was found in doing so at home or in attendance, showing that physical activity practice is a tool for parent–child bonding and mutual enjoyment, emphasizing that the mixed approach yielded positive results in all participants.