Abstract

FERNANDEZ-DIAZ, Marta; RODRIGUEZ-FERNANDEZ, José Eugenio; LOPEZ-GARCIA, Sergio  and  RICO-DIAZ, Javier. Influence of physical activity on behavior and conduct in students with autism spectrum disorder in primary education: a systematic review. Rev. Port. de Educação [online]. 2023, vol.36, n.1, e23011.  Epub May 16, 2023. ISSN 0871-9187.  https://doi.org/10.21814/rpe.26794.

Scientific evidence emphasizes that physical inactivity by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a global reality that can seriously affect their overall development. Therefore, analyzing the positive effects of the regular practice of physical activity is essential for the subsequent design and implementation of interventions and programs aimed at its promotion. Thus, the objective of this review was to identify, summarize and analyze the influence of physical activity on the behavior and conduct of primary school students (between 5 and 12 years old) diagnosed with ASD. To do this, following the guidelines of the PRISMA declaration, scientific articles in English and Spanish were searched in three databases: PsycInfo, Scopus and Web of Science. Of the 1,226 studies identified, 10 met the previously established inclusion criteria. After its analysis, it was found that all the results point to the positive contribution of physical activity on the behavior, conduct and personal development of these children, mainly in relation to social skills, attention, and self-regulation. In this sense, the programs based on activities of moderate-vigorous intensity of short duration and developed jointly with other subjects are the ones that stand out when it comes to contributing positively to the behavior of students with ASD.

Keywords : Special education; Autism; Physical activity; Systematic review.

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