The Effectiveness of Adapted Physical Activity in the Development of Motor Skills in Children Aged 3 to 6 Years With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Oner Soykan; Turan Başkonuş; Vahit Çiriş; Deniz Akdal

doi:10.54141/psbd.1661623

The Effectiveness of Adapted Physical Activity in the Development of Motor Skills in Children Aged 3 to 6 Years With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may experience delays in motor skill development or follow atypical developmental trajectories. Therefore, supporting motor skills during early childhood is considered crucial. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of adapted physical activity (APA) in enhancing the motor skills of children aged 3 to 6 years with ASD. The study included three children with ASD between the ages of 3 and 6. A single-subject research design utilizing a multiple-baseline model across participants was employed. The APA program was developed and implemented by the researchers, taking into account the children’s ages, autism symptoms, and individual abilities. Motor skills were assessed using a researcher-designed checklist during baseline, instructional, probe, maintenance, and generalization sessions. Research data were analyzed through visual analysis techniques. Findings indicated a significant difference between the baseline and post-intervention data for all three participants. Furthermore, the skills acquired during the intervention were maintained during follow-up sessions and successfully generalized in the generalization sessions. Social validity data collected from the families of the participating children further confirmed the effectiveness of the APA program. In conclusion, APA was found to be effective in improving the motor skills of children with ASD.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Physical Training, Sports and Physical Activity For Disabled

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Oner Soykan ^*
0000-0002-6967-2281
Türkiye

Turan Başkonuş
0000-0001-8932-7656
Türkiye

Vahit Çiriş
0000-0002-3087-0942
Türkiye

Deniz Akdal
0000-0001-9272-3422
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

November 5, 2025

Publication Date

December 26, 2025

Submission Date

March 20, 2025

Acceptance Date

September 19, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 16 Number: 3

DOI

https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1661623

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA25LB79ZR

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Soykan, O., Başkonuş, T., Çiriş, V., & Akdal, D. (2025). The Effectiveness of Adapted Physical Activity in the Development of Motor Skills in Children Aged 3 to 6 Years With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, 16(3), 692-716. https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1661623

AMA

1.Soykan O, Başkonuş T, Çiriş V, Akdal D. The Effectiveness of Adapted Physical Activity in the Development of Motor Skills in Children Aged 3 to 6 Years With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Pamukkale J Sport Sci. 2025;16(3):692-716. doi:10.54141/psbd.1661623

Chicago

Soykan, Oner, Turan Başkonuş, Vahit Çiriş, and Deniz Akdal. 2025. “The Effectiveness of Adapted Physical Activity in the Development of Motor Skills in Children Aged 3 to 6 Years With Autism Spectrum Disorder”. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences 16 (3): 692-716. https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1661623.

EndNote

Soykan O, Başkonuş T, Çiriş V, Akdal D (December 1, 2025) The Effectiveness of Adapted Physical Activity in the Development of Motor Skills in Children Aged 3 to 6 Years With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences 16 3 692–716.

IEEE

[1]O. Soykan, T. Başkonuş, V. Çiriş, and D. Akdal, “The Effectiveness of Adapted Physical Activity in the Development of Motor Skills in Children Aged 3 to 6 Years With Autism Spectrum Disorder”, Pamukkale J Sport Sci, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 692–716, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.54141/psbd.1661623.

ISNAD

Soykan, Oner - Başkonuş, Turan - Çiriş, Vahit - Akdal, Deniz. “The Effectiveness of Adapted Physical Activity in the Development of Motor Skills in Children Aged 3 to 6 Years With Autism Spectrum Disorder”. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences 16/3 (December 1, 2025): 692-716. https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1661623.

JAMA

1.Soykan O, Başkonuş T, Çiriş V, Akdal D. The Effectiveness of Adapted Physical Activity in the Development of Motor Skills in Children Aged 3 to 6 Years With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Pamukkale J Sport Sci. 2025;16:692–716.

MLA

Soykan, Oner, et al. “The Effectiveness of Adapted Physical Activity in the Development of Motor Skills in Children Aged 3 to 6 Years With Autism Spectrum Disorder”. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, vol. 16, no. 3, Dec. 2025, pp. 692-16, doi:10.54141/psbd.1661623.

Vancouver

1.Oner Soykan, Turan Başkonuş, Vahit Çiriş, Deniz Akdal. The Effectiveness of Adapted Physical Activity in the Development of Motor Skills in Children Aged 3 to 6 Years With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Pamukkale J Sport Sci. 2025 Dec. 1;16(3):692-716. doi:10.54141/psbd.1661623