The Effects of Physical Activities and Educational Games on the Motor Competence, Social Skills, and Psychological Adjustment of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that emerges in early childhood and is characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication, as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. The increasing prevalence of ASD has heightened the importance of effective interventions aimed at improving the quality of life of these individuals. This study was conducted to examine the effects of physical activities and educational games planned within the scope of movement education on the motor competence, social skills, and psychological adjustment of children with ASD. A true experimental design, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the study. Within the scope of the pilot implementation, experimental and control groups consisting of primary school children diagnosed with ASD were included in the study; two participants who were unable to complete the process due to health problems were excluded from the evaluation. The experimental group participated in a physical activity and educational games program for 12 weeks, three days a week, for one hour each day. Before and after the intervention, the Performance Determination Form for Individuals with Pervasive Developmental Disorders and the BOT-2 Motor Proficiency Test were used. In addition, considering the pandemic conditions, the implementations were transferred to a digital environment through video recordings, allowing families to continue the training in the home environment. It is believed that this research will contribute to supporting the developmental domains of children with ASD, providing guidance for families and professionals, and promoting the wider dissemination of the intervention.

Keywords

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• physical activity
• educational games
• motor competence
• social skills
• psychological adjustment.

Fiziksel Aktivitelerin ve Eğitici Oyunların Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu Olan Çocukların Motor Becerileri, Sosyal Becerileri ve Psikolojik Uyumları Üzerindeki Etkileri.

Abstract

Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu (OSB), erken çocukluk döneminde ortaya çıkan; sosyal etkileşim ve iletişimde yetersizlikler ile sınırlı ve tekrarlayıcı davranış örüntüleriyle karakterize nörogelişimsel bir bozukluktur. OSB’nin görülme sıklığındaki artış, bu bireylerin yaşam kalitesini artırmaya yönelik etkili müdahalelerin önemini artırmaktadır. Bu araştırma, hareket eğitimi kapsamında planlanan fiziki etkinlikler ve eğitsel oyunların OSB’li çocukların motor yeterlilikleri, sosyal becerileri ve ruhsal uyumları üzerindeki etkisini incelemek amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmada nicel araştırma yöntemlerinden gerçek deneysel model kullanılmıştır. Pilot uygulama kapsamında ilkokul düzeyindeki OSB tanılı çocuklardan oluşan deney ve kontrol grupları ile çalışılmış; sağlık sorunları nedeniyle süreci tamamlayamayan iki katılımcı değerlendirme dışı bırakılmıştır. Deney grubuna 12 hafta boyunca haftada 3 gün, günde 1 saat fiziki etkinlik ve eğitsel oyun programı uygulanmıştır. Uygulama öncesi ve sonrasında Yaygın Gelişimsel Bozukluğu Olan Bireyler İçin Performans Belirleme Formu ve BOT-2 Motor Yeterlilik Testi kullanılmıştır. Ayrıca pandemi koşulları dikkate alınarak uygulamalar video kayıtlarıyla dijital ortama aktarılmış ve ailelerin ev ortamında eğitimi sürdürebilmelerine olanak sağlanmıştır. Araştırmanın, OSB’li çocukların gelişim alanlarının desteklenmesine, aileler ve uzmanlar için rehberlik sağlamasına ve uygulamanın yaygınlaştırılmasına katkı sunacağı düşünülmektedir.

Keywords

• Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu
• hareket eğitimi
• fiziki etkinlik
• eğitsel oyun
• motor yeterlilik
• sosyal beceri
• ruhsal uyum

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