Physical Education and Development of Locomotion and Gross Motor Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Movement abnormalities are a common problem in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which affect their fine and gross motor skills, locomotion, and eye movements, along with their ability to conduct more complex movement types. The purpose of this study was to determine whether regular exercises in physical education classes using the Test of Gross Motor Development Second Edition (TGMD-2) improve locomotion, gross motor skills, and overall movement performance in children with ASD and eliminate the occurrence of movement abnormalities. Twenty children aged 5–10 years (M ± SD; 7.51 ± 1.58 years) who were diagnosed with ASD participated in the research. The TGMD-2 training program was applied for a period of 8 weeks with a frequency setting of two times a week and a duration of 30 min under the guidance of a physical education teacher. Group A exercised according to TGMD-2 instructions, while Group B was the control group, then vice versa. The rest period between exercises was 13 weeks. The research results indicate that the use of exercises to develop the motor performance of children with ASD contributed to the significant development of their locomotion and gross motor skills. In both groups A and B, we noted an improvement in locomotion (p < 0.01) and gross motor skills (p < 0.01). The results demonstrated a significant improvement in gains between the control and experimental periods in groups A (p < 0.001) and B (p < 0.001). During the 13-week rest period between exercises, we found a decrease in the level of motor performance in both groups of children with ASD (p < 0.01). In group A, we found a decrease in motor performance (p < 0.01), locomotion (p < 0.01), and gross motor skills (p < 0.01), and in group B, a significant deterioration of motor performance in terms of the total TGMD-2 score (p < 0.05). Regular movement intervention is very important for children with ASD; otherwise, their level of motor performance can drop significantly. Therefore, we recommend implementing TGMD-2 exercises as part of the physical education of children with ASD and supporting the routine and healthy habits of children.