Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Motor Intervention on Cognition, Communication, and Social Interaction in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Marcelo R. Rosales, Christiana Butera, Rujuta B. Wilson, Judy Zhou, Elizabeth Maus, Hongyang Zhao, Jason C. Chow, Annie Dao, Julia Freeman, Stacey C. Dusing
Abstract
Aims Conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effects of motor intervention on social, communication, and cognitive skills in individuals (0–21 years) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).Methods Seven databases were used to search for randomized control trials (RCT) implementing a motor intervention for children with ASD; and measured social, communication, and cognitive outcomes. Twenty-three RCTs were selected with 66 outcomes and 636 participants (range of mean age: 4.3 − 12.3 years).Results Motor interventions had a significant, positive effect on (1) all outcomes combined (i.e. social, communication, and cognitive) (SSMD: 0.41, p = .01), (2) social (SSMD: 0.46, p = .012) and (3) combined social/communication (SSMD: 0.47, p = .01) domains, but not for the motor domain (SSMD: 0.45, p = .25) or cognitive domain alone (SSMD: 0.22, p = .18). In children above age nine, a 1-year increase in age corresponded to a 0.29 decrease in SSMD (less effective).Conclusions Motor interventions have a positive impact and should be considered when planning interventions for children with ASD.