Group Interpersonal Synchrony Increases Prosocial Behavior in Young Autistic Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Dance movement therapists use interventions in which participants share synchronous movement to enhance well-being and increase social skills among autistic individuals. However, there is limited research about the effects of synchronized interventions on interpersonal and intrapersonal outcomes of autistic individuals. This field study evaluated the immediate and long-term impacts of a movement-based synchronized group intervention on prosocial behavior, social cohesion, and work-related stress among young autistic adults. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to investigate two movement-based group intervention conditions: synchronous and non-synchronous. Fifty-four young adults, aged 18-22, enrolled in an innovative program integrating young autistic adults into the Israeli army workforce. One-hour-long movement-based intervention sessions took place once a week for six to seven weeks, and data was collected at three time points: before and after the intervention period, and 17 weeks after it ended. Results suggest that the synchronized intervention may be more effective than the non-synchronized intervention in enhancing cooperative behavior after 17 weeks and fostering social closeness with familiar peers post-intervention. However, the synchronized intervention may not be more effective in reducing work-related stress. A holistic approach is discussed, which integrates synchronized and non-synchronized movement-based group interventions for young autistic individuals transitioning into work environments.Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT05846308; URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05846308 ).