Peer-reviewed article
The Impact of South Asian Dance on Engagement, Independent Movement and Social Skills for Autistic Children.
Claire Farmer, Ashley Brain, Subathra Subramaniam ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined whether South Asian dance classes could improve engagement, movement and social skills in autistic children. Fifteen autistic children in London attended weekly dance classes over two school terms. Teachers and parents reported improvements in focus, range of motion and independent movement, and reductions in avoidance behaviours for most children. However, results varied considerably between individual children, making it difficult to draw broad conclusions about dance's impact.
Key points
- Observational notes suggested improvements in focus and engagement for most learners
- Improvements were noted in range of motion, independent movement and reduction of avoidance behaviours
- SDQ results showed higher hyperactivity and peer problems compared to general population norms
- Results were heterogeneous across children, making broad assumptions about impact difficult
- South Asian Dance forms provide new creative movement vocabulary for teachers and parents
Limitations
The study is small (15 children) with no comparison group, making it unclear whether improvements would have occurred without the intervention. The heterogeneous results and lack of control group limit the generalisability of findings.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Research postulates that dance has the potential to encourage individual expression, develop interpersonal skills and reduce avoidance behaviours in autistic children. This study aimed to investigate the impact of South Asian Dance on engagement, independent movement and social skills in this population. METHODS: Fifteen autistic children (8.14 ± 1.14 years) from a special educational needs and disabilities school in London, UK, their parents and teachers participated in this collaborative, mixed methods study. Children participated in weekly dance classes throughout spring and summer terms. Data was collected via the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for parents and teachers and observational notes from dance artists. FINDINGS: Content analysis of observational notes suggested an improvement in focus and engagement for most learners alongside improvements in range of motion, independent movement and reduction of avoidance behaviours. SDQ results were similar to previous studies in autistic children and higher than general population normative data, particularly in hyperactivity and peer problems. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the heterogeneity of results and children's experiences within the dance activity, broad assumptions about impact are difficult. Individual improvements were noted for many learners in engagement, independent movement, range of motion and co-ordination as well as a reduction in avoidance behaviours. This study adds to developing research into dance for autistic children, providing a unique focus on South Asian Dance forms which may provide a wealth of new creative movement vocabulary for teachers and parents.