The Effects of ‘I Can Develop Physical Literacy’ (ICPL) on Sleep Quality and Gross Motor Skills among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/xk69m465Keywords:
autism spectrum disorder, physical literacy, sleep quality, gross motor skills, adapted physical activityAbstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects social communication, interaction, and behaviour issues with limited access to physical activity (PA), which leads to inadequate levels of fitness, poor health, and impaired motor abilities. ASD children often have poor sleep quality. Playing games may help children sleep better and improve gross motor skills. However, studies on the effects of playing physical games on ASD children are limited. Current research assessed how “I Can Developed Physical Literacy” (ICPL), a physical game, affected gross motor abilities and sleep quality in ASD children. In the current investigation, 24 children (with an average age of 4.75 ± 0.74 years, height of 105.1 ± 5.32 cm, weight of 18.25 ± 2.18 kg, body mass index 16.44 ± 0.43 kg.m-2) randomly assigned to the ICPL and the control group. The experiment intervention group received sixteen sessions of 30 minutes, while the control group did not receive any treatment. All participants completed a pre-test and post-test using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2), and the data were analysed using a paired-sample t-test. The results showed that the ICPL group had significantly better PSQI (P = 0.001) and TGMD-2 (P = 0.001) scores compared to the control group post-intervention, The current study found that physical games improve sleep and gross motor abilities in ASD children. Further research is necessary to explore the long-term benefits and potential applications of these interventions in diverse contexts.
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