Effects of Motor Skills and Physical Activity Interventions on Motor Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early childhood and lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder. Many studies have confirmed that motor skills and physical activity interventions can improve motor development in ASD individuals and ultimately improve their quality of life. However, systematic evidence is lacking on whether motor skills and physical activity interventions improve motor development among children with ASD. Methods: A systematic search of the CNKI, PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases was conducted for publications through 30 July 2023. Citation tracking and reference tracking were also used, and this study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines. Results: Of 8908 studies initially retrieved, 57 met the selection criteria and were evaluated. The overall quality of the evidence, assessed using PEDro, was low. The evaluated studies included 1622 children with ASD, among which 517 were males, from level II to IV, and ranging in age from 3 to 17 years. Five types (physical activity interventions, motor skill interventions, hippotherapy, equine-assisted or simulated horse riding interventions, exergaming interventions, and physical education interventions) of motor development interventions were used, and 57 studies achieved some positive results for improvements in motor development among children with ASD. Furtherly, eight studies reported motor development acquisition, retention, or transfer. Children with ASD learn well from different types of instructors, including teachers, coaches, camp counselors, physical therapists, and peers. Conclusions: Motor skills and physical activity interventions improved motor development among children with ASD, the effect of which would continue until the end of the interventions.