JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often struggle with processing information, which can impact their coordination, balance, and other motor skills. Studies have demonstrated that intervention programs based on sensory integration can enhance motor performance in these children.

Objective:

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the applicability of a standardized battery of gross motor skill tests for Moroccan children aged 6 to 12 with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This will provide preliminary data and allow for comparison to a group of neurotypical children matched for age and sex, thereby estimating the discrepancies in motor development between the two groups. The secondary objective is to assess the potential efficacy of an innovative pedagogical approach focused on sensorimotor integration and hyperstimulation for Moroccan children with ASD. This approach will be compared to traditional physical education sessions to determine its feasibility and potential to bridge the developmental gaps in motor skills between children with ASD and neurotypical peers.

Methods:

A convenience sample of thirty-two (32) Moroccan children aged 6 to 12 years participated in this exploratory study, including 14 children with ASD and 18 neurotypical children. Children with ASD were divided into an experimental (N=7) and a control group (N=7) based on age, sex, motor performance and socioeconomic status. The control group followed the standard physical education (PE) program, while the experimental group underwent a specialized program combining sensorimotor integration and hyperstimulation for a period of 15-week. All participants were classified as level 2 (moderate) on the Autism Severity Rating Scale based on DSM-5-TR criteria. Gross motor skills were measured at baseline and after 15 weeks of intervention using the UQAC-UQAM test battery protocol, which includes 10 items.

Results:

At baseline, all 14 children with ASD demonstrated significantly lower scores on all motor skills measured in comparison to the neurotypical group. However, no significant difference was observed between the control and experimental groups of children with ASD. Following the 15-week intervention, the group participating in traditional PE showed an overall improvement in motor skills of approximately 14%. Conversely, the results of the ASD experimental group suggest a more substantial improvement of 42%. Additionally, the experimental group exhibited significant better performance across all motor skill variables compared to the control group (p<0.05), with large effect sizes (>0.80).

Conclusions:

The results of this study suggest that the approach that emphasizes sensorimotor integration and management of hyperstimulation was more effective in improving motor skills in this population. However, other more exhaustive studies will need to be carried out in order to be able to more precisely measure the full potential of this approach.