| Objective: To investigate the effects of 8 weeks gross muscle intervention on restricted repetitive behaviors and athletic ability in children with autism.Methods: 12 autistic children aged 6-10 years old with restricted repetitive behaviors were selected as experimental subjects and randomly divided into the experimental group and the control group,6 people in each group.The experimental group received gross motor intervention for 8 weeks,while the control group kept the original life status unchanged.Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised(RBSR)and Test of Gross Motor Development-3(TGMD-3)were used to evaluate the restricted repetitive behaviors and athletic ability of the subjects before and after intervention,exercise intensity by Polar V800 heart rate monitors,adopts the method of observation,record the experimental group subjects in the number of restricted repetitive behaviors in the process of intervention,the analysis subjects restricted repetitive behaviors changes.Results:(1)There were no significant differences in basic condition,symptom degree,sleep and physical fitness between the two groups before intervention(P>0.05).During the intervention period,the heart rate of the 6 experimental groups ranged from 94 to 180 beats/min,and the percentage of maximum heart rate during exercise ranged from 79 to 85%.(2)Before intervention,gross motor ability was negatively correlated with the total score of RBSA scale,Stereotypical Behavior Subscale score and Sameness Behavior Subscale score(P<0.05),and movement ability was negatively correlated with the total score of RBSA scale and Sameness Behavior subscale score(P<0.05).There was no significant correlation between operation ability and the total score of RBSA scale,Stereotypical Behavior Subscale score and other items(P>0.05).(3)After 8 weeks of gross motor intervention,the gross motor ability,the movement ability and operation ability of the experimental group were significantly improved(P<0.01),while the indexes of the control group had no significant changes(P>0.05).(4)After 8 weeks of gross motor intervention,there were significant changes in restricted repetitive behaviors and its three sub-dimensions of stereotyped behavior,self-injurious behavior and obsessive behavior in the experimental group(P<0.05),but no significant changes in other sub-dimensions(P>0.05).(5)After the intervention,the average number of target restricted repetitive behaviors of the six subjects was significantly reduced.The behavior of ear scratching and palm pinching of subject A decreased significantly.The number of bouncing behavior of subject B,head scratching behavior of subject C and palm covering behavior of subject D decreased significantly in their respective target stereotyping behaviors.The number of hand flapping and finger biting in subject E decreased significantly.F decreased in all subjects except lip compression behavior.The results of behavioral motivation assessment showed that the main motivation for children with autism to restricted repetitive behaviors was to seek sensory stimuli or to avoid tasks.Conclusions:(1)The percentage of maximum heart rate in the 6 experimental groups ranged from 79 to 85%,and the exercise intensity of the intervention at 8 weeks was relatively high.(2)The severity of restricted repetitive behaviors in autistic children was negatively correlated with gross motor ability and movement ability.(3)The 8-week gross motor intervention can improve gross motor ability,movement ability and operation ability of children with autism.(4)The 8-week gross muscle intervention can improve the restricted repetitive behaviors of children with autism and its three sub-dimensions of stereotyped behavior,self-injurious behavior and obsessive behavior.(5)The main motivation for autistic children to have restricted repetitive behaviors is to satisfy sensory stimuli or avoid tasks.The 8-week gross muscle intervention could significantly reduce the number of target restricted repetitive behaviors. |
