An Overview of the Available Intervention Strategies for Postural Balance Control in Individuals with Autism Spectrum...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Postural instability is common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), affecting perceptual-motor and social development.
• Concurrent conditions like sensory processing deficits and hypotonia complicate management.
• A standardized protocol for addressing postural instability in ASD is currently lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and discuss various intervention strategies for postural instability in individuals with ASD.
• To provide an overview of current approaches to managing balance control challenges in ASD.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive review of existing literature on interventions for postural instability in ASD.
• Discussion of diverse therapeutic approaches including martial arts, aquatic therapy, animal-assisted therapy, and more.

Main Results:

• Interventions reviewed include martial arts, water-based exercises, animal-assisted therapies, trampoline use, balance training, vestibular therapy, tDCS, SPARK, and SSE.
• Mechanisms of improvement involve enhancing motor skills, cerebellar function, and sensory integration.
• Engaging interventions like water exercises and video games can improve treatment adherence in children with ASD.

Conclusions:

• While various interventions show promise, most studies suffer from small sample sizes and lack of control groups.
• Further well-designed randomized controlled trials are essential to validate the efficacy of these interventions for postural control in ASD.