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Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Motor Intervention on Cognition, Communication, and Social

Marcelo R Rosales¹, Christiana Dodd Butera², Rujuta B Wilson³

¹School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.

Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics

|May 4, 2025

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.

Keywords:

Autism exercise intervention meta-analysis motor physical activity systematic review

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