Improving motor skills in children with autistic spectrum disorder through futsal

Resumen

Currently, it is evident that the participation in physical and sporting activities of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is very limited due to the characteristics
of the diagnosis itself. This research work arose from the need to analyse the effect that sport practice has on the development of motor skills in children between six and 12
years of age with an ASD diagnosis, with a severity level of one. A total of 13 children with ASD aged six to 10 years (M = 7.23 years; SD = 1.42) participated in the physical-sports
training programme. A pre-experimental, pretest-posttest design was adopted. Statistical analysis was performed with non-parametric tests using the Wilcoxon test in order to
compare the results of the group of participants at two time points. The results of the study showed an improvement in the performance of the motor skills assessed. These data can help to consider sport as a real alternative to work with this group. Likewise, this type of programme can help to promote healthy lifestyles and improve the quality of life of
the participants.