Empirical and Essay Studies

The Role and Importance of Obstacle Course Training for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published:
March 30, 2024
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Copyright (c) 2024 Dr. Müller Anetta, Židek Péter, Dr. Lengyel Attila

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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Müller, A., Židek, P., & Lengyel, A. (2024). The Role and Importance of Obstacle Course Training for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Special Treatment - Interdisciplinary Journal, 10(1), 63-74. https://doi.org/10.18458/KB.2024.1.63
Abstract

Aim: In this study, we set out to describe the motor development deficits of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) based on existing research and to provide a methodologically based recommendation for the use of obstacle courses as a motor development tool and opportunity for children with ASD. Methods: a primary research study was conducted to present the results of semi-structured in-depth interviews with parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (N=25). The aim of the study was to provide a comprehensive summary of the experiences of a group of 25 interview participants whose children with autism spectrum disorder participated in an obstacle course movement development programme. The interviews explored the impact of obstacle course movement development on the children's various skills (motor, social, communication and emotional/behavioural). Results: the parents' experiences confirmed that the obstacle course physical activity programme, which was provided for at least six months, was not only effective in developing children's gross motor and fine motor skills, but also led to positive changes in social relationships, social skills, communication skills and emotional behaviour.