The Effects of Adapted Physical Activity on Focused Attention in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study aims to examine the effects of an adapted physical activity on focused attention in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this study, an adapted physical activity was planned for children who have ASD by using a multiple baseline design across skills, one of the single-subject designs., The program was taught via the most-to-least prompting, and its effects on focused attention skills of children with ASD were examined before and after the training. Three students with ASD participated in the study. Data collection tools included a data collection form, and the Bourdon attention test to determine baseline level, probe, instruction, maintenance, and generalization sessions in the study. Tau-U analysis results indicated a large and statistically significant effect of the intervention across all target behaviors. In conclusion, children with ASD should be more involved in adapted physical activity in public schools.