The Efficacy of Early Start Denver Model Intervention in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Within Japan: A Preliminary Study

Analyzing the influence of physical exercise interventions on social skills in children with autism spectrum disorder: insights from meta-analysis

Introduction

Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly encounter difficulties in social interactions and communication, significantly affecting their overall wellbeing. One proposed strategy to address these challenges is through physical exercise interventions. This study aims to conduct a meta-analysis to assess the impact of physical exercise interventions on the social skills of children with ASD.

Methods

To perform this meta-analysis, we followed the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement and the practical guide for transparent reporting of systematic reviews. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental studies investigating the effects of physical exercise interventions on social skills among children with ASD. We used the standardized mean difference (SMD) to measure effect size.

Results

Sixteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicated a significant improvement in social skills among children with ASD following physical exercise interventions (SMD = -0.54, 95% CI = [-0.63; -0.44]). The moderator analysis underscored the crucial role of age in explaining the intervention outcomes for enhancing social skills, with interventions lasting more than 12 weeks recommended for better social skills improvement.

Discussion

The findings of this meta-analysis provide robust evidence supporting the efficacy of physical exercise interventions in enhancing the social skills of children with ASD. The moderator analysis underscores the importance of considering both the mean age and duration of interventions when implementing such programs. These results underscore the significance of physical exercise as a viable option for improving social skills in this population.

The impact of exercise intervention on social interaction in children with autism: a network meta-analysis

Background

Extensive research has documented the positive impacts of physical activity on children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, the specific benefits of various sports on the social functioning of children with ASD remain ambiguous. This study aims to employ a network meta-analysis to investigate the effects of different sports on the social functioning of children and adolescents with ASD and to establish a ranking of their effectiveness.

Methods

This study conducted a comprehensive online search across Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases for randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies focusing on social functioning outcomes. Data were synthesized using a Bayesian framework.

Results

Sixteen relevant studies encompassing 560 participants were included. According to Cohen's classification, mini-basketball (SMD = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.46, 1.20), SPARK (SMD = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.06, 1.70), and Karate (SMD = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.27, 2.00) demonstrated high effect sizes, with Karate identified as the most effective intervention. Conversely, Combined Exercise and Nei Yang Gong interventions exhibited the least significant effects, falling below small effect sizes.

Conclusion

Physical activity interventions have been shown to enhance social functioning in children and adolescents with ASD to varying extents, with Karate emerging as the most efficacious.

ESDM intervention in severe preschool autism: an Italian Case report, psychological and social medicine reflections

BACKGROUND

The goal of our contribution is to discuss a preschool intervention based on the Early Start Denver Model and the use of the main tools for the detection of adaptive behaviour in cases of autism: Vineland, ABAS.

CASE PRESENTATION

the work is the presentation of a clinical case that has benefited from an intervention with the Early Start Denver Model methodology for the benefit of a child with socio-cultural and economic disadvantages. This early intervention, in a child of 36 months, which followed the diagnosis, was possible thanks to the intervention of many third-sector organizations which allowed this child, with a serious autism profile, to receive an evidence-based intervention for free. At the beginning of the intervention, the child presented a diagnosis of severe autism with absence of gaze, vocalizations and other communicative impairments. The level of motor clumsiness was also quite high, as were stereotypies.

CONCLUSIONS

Research has shown the usefulness of intervening in this area with an early assessment and/or diagnosis and immediate intervention; however, public health services are not always able to maintain this pace. Our contribution therefore shows on the one hand the evidence of the improvements achieved by the child despite the low intensity of the treatment, and on the other hand, demonstrates the total versatility and adaptability of the Denver Model to the Italian context. In our conclusions, there are also some reflections on the tools used to measure adaptive behavior which seem to have a number of limitations and criticalities.

Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis

In this paper, systematic review and meta-analysis were used to demonstrate the effectiveness of physical activity intervention on core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Physical activity intervention for core symptoms of ASD were retrieved by computer from the PubMed Cochrane Library, Web of Science, APA PsycNet, and CNKI database during December 1, 2022. Two researchers evaluated the quality of the included literature and extracted the data. Sixteen studies were eventually included, with a total of 587 patients with ASD. Meta-analysis showed that the core symptoms of ASD patients decreased after physical activity intervention, ES(g) = 0.681(95% CI: 0.380-0.982, p = 0.000), specifically, physical activity improved the reduction of social disorder ES(g) = 0.749(95% CI: 0.524-0.973) and repeated rigid behavior ES(g) = 0.553 (95% CI: -0.079 to 1.186). Subgroup analysis showed that preschool children with ASD who were 3-6 years old, exercised for more than 12 weeks, more than 3 times a week, and exercised for more than 90 min per session had better improvement in core symptoms after participating in physical activity. The conclusion of this paper is that physical activity intervention can improve the core symptoms of ASD, especially the reduction of social disorders and repetitive behaviors.

Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak on Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typically Developing Peers: An Online Survey

BACKGROUND

When COVID-19 was declared as a pandemic, many countries imposed severe lockdowns that changed families' routines and negatively impacted on parents' and children's mental health. Several studies on families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) revealed that lockdown increased the difficulties faced by individuals with ASD, as well as parental distress. No studies have analyzed the interplay between parental distress, children's emotional responses, and adaptive behaviors in children with ASD considering the period of the mandatory lockdown. Furthermore, we compared families with children on the spectrum and families with typically developing (TD) children in terms of their distress, children's emotional responses, and behavioral adaptation.

METHODS

In this study, 120 parents of children aged 5-10 years (53 with ASD) participated.

RESULTS

In the four tested models, children's positive and negative emotional responses mediated the impact of parental distress on children's playing activities. In the ASD group, parents reported that their children expressed more positive emotions, but fewer playing activities, than TD children. Families with children on the spectrum reported greater behavioral problems during the lockdown and more parental distress.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings inform the interventions designed for parents to reduce distress and to develop coping strategies to better manage the caregiver-child relationship.