The realization that healthy lifestyles are as important for individuals with disabilities as persons without disabilities has been an emphasis of recent Taiwan government. As a group, students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may be inactive due to social and behavioral deficits associated with the disability limit their participation in physical activity (PA), because most children are physically activity with peers (Okely, Booth, & Patterson, 2001). Today, most children with ASD and especially those requiring fewer supports are included into regular schools. Therefore, children with ASD may not as active during the course of normal school day. Since it has been reported that PA patterns develop during childhood (Berenson, 1986), it is essential to determine if these patterns are the same for both children with and without ASD. PURPOSE: To compare PA patterns of children with and without ASD during normal school day [whole day (appropriately 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) versus half day (appropriately 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)]. METHODS: Twenty-six children with ASD (25 males and 1 female) and 26 children without ASD (25 males and 1 female) ages 7 to 12 years volunteered to participate. Physical activity patterns were measured with a uniaxial accelerometer. The device was worn during 5 consecutive normal school days. Data are reported as counts per minute (CPM), percent time engaged in moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and continuous bouts of MVPA. Two way repeated measures ANOVAs were used to examine differences among groups. Significance was set at p < .05. RESULTS: Findings indicated that (a) children without ASD were more active than children with ASD on all variables except 20-min MVPA [CPM: F(1, 50) = 7.99, p < .01, partial eta2 = 0.14); MVPA: F(1, 50) = 6.65, p < .05, partial eta2 = 0.12); 5-min MVPA: F(1, 50) = 12.42, p < .01, partial eta2 = 0.20; 10-min MVPA: F(1, 50) = 10.34, p < .01, partial eta2 = 0.17), (b) all children spent more time in 5- and 10-min MVPA on whole day than half day [F(1, 50) = 20.81, p < .01, partial eta2 = 0.29, F(1, 50) = 14.35, p < .01, partial eta2 = 0.22, respectively], and (c) no significant group and day differences on any variables. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts should focus on identifying appropriate in-school PA options that encourage MVPA of children with ASD.
Supported by grant NSC 94-2614-H-017-001, National Science Council, Taiwan, R.O.C.