A Review of Literature on the Efficacy of Aerobic Exercises on Stereotypic Behaviour for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Abstract
Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous
neurobiological condition that features restricted, repetitive, and
stereotypic behaviour, and impairments in social interaction and verbal
and non-verbal communication. Autism is caused due to genetic and
environmental factors. Autism is classified into five major types: Rett’s
disorder, Asperger’s disorder, autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative
disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified.
Stereotypic behaviour is involuntary; sensorial self-regulation activities
are present in autistic children. Aerobic exercise (AE) is described as a
type of exercise that elevates the heart rate and oxygen consumption
of the body. It has been seen to cause improvement in an ASD child’s
physical development, cognitive development, and body composition.
Aim: This article aims to present a review of the relevant literature on the
efficacy of aerobic exercises on stereotypic behaviour in ASD children.
Methods: This review is based on the PRISMA guidelines. The databases
used for searching the articles were PubMed and Google Scholar.
Inclusion criteria were taken care of while selecting the articles. The
articles between the years 2011 and 2022 were selected.
Results: In this review, ten studies were selected according to the
inclusion criteria and all these studies showed the effectiveness of
aerobic exercise and a decrease in stereotypic behaviour in ASD children.
Conclusion: This literature review analysed the efficacy of AE on
stereotypic behaviour in ASD children. This study concluded that physical
activity, which included aerobic exercise, reduced the stereotypic
behaviour of children affected by ASD.
How to cite this article:
Sonia DRL, Mohan P, Sedhunivas R, Kumar SS. A
Review of Literature on the Efficacy of Aerobic
Exercises on Stereotypic Behaviour for Autism
Spectrum Disorder. Chettinad Health City Med
J. 2023;12(3):97-104.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2278.2044.202358
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