Comparison of physical activity between children with autism spectrum disorders and typically developing children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Regular physical activity is crucial for overall health and well-being.
• Physical activity patterns in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are understudied.
• Understanding activity levels in children with ASD is vital for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare physical activity levels between children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children.
• To investigate differences in the types and duration of physical activities undertaken by these groups.
• To explore potential discrepancies between objective and parent-reported activity measures.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 53 children with ASD and 58 TD children aged 3-11 years.
• Participants were part of the Children's Activity and Meal Patterns Study (CHAMPS).
• Physical activity was assessed using accelerometry and parental questionnaires, with adjustments for age and sex.

Main Results:

• Objective measures showed similar daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) between children with ASD (50.0 min/day) and TD children (57.1 min/day).
• Parental reports indicated children with ASD participated in significantly fewer types of physical activities (6.9 vs. 9.6) and less annual time (158 vs. 225 hours).
• Discrepancies suggest that accelerometry may not fully capture the nature or variety of activities in children with ASD.

Conclusions:

• While objective measures show comparable MVPA, children with ASD engage in a narrower range and shorter duration of physical activities.
• Parental reports highlight a qualitative difference in physical activity engagement for children with ASD.
• Current assessment tools may underestimate the full spectrum of physical activity in children with ASD, necessitating refined measurement approaches.