Maninderjit Kaur1, Inge-Marie Eigsti2, Anjana Bhat1,3. 1. Biomechanics & Movement Sciences Program & Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19713. 2. Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269. 3. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Yoga is gaining popularity as a multisystem intervention due to its impact on both the physical and mental well-being of children with typical development. However, there is limited empirical evidence to support the use of this approach in school-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The current pilot study evaluated the impact of a creative yoga intervention on the joint attention, social communication, and affective states of children with ASD. METHODS: 24 school-aged children with ASD received eight weeks of yoga (e.g., breathing, poses, relaxation) or tabletop play/academic intervention (e.g., reading, arts-crafts, building activities). Children were tested before and after the intervention using a standardized measure of responsive joint attention. Additionally, changes in socially directed verbal communication and affective states of children were assessed three times during the intervention period, i.e. during early, mid, and late intervention sessions. RESULTS: Children with ASD showed improvements in responsive joint attention in both groups in the posttest vs. the pretest. Furthermore, children in the yoga group showed improvements in socially directed verbal communication skills across the intervention sessions, i.e. greater spontaneous and responsive communication from early/mid to late intervention sessions compared to the academic group. There were no changes in affective states with the intervention, however, the yoga group showed greater interested and less negative affect compared to the academic group. CONCLUSIONS: Creative yoga intervention is a promising tool that led to improvements in intervention-related social communication skills and generalized joint attention skills of children with ASD.
BACKGROUND: Yoga is gaining popularity as a multisystem intervention due to its impact on both the physical and mental well-being of children with typical development. However, there is limited empirical evidence to support the use of this approach in school-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The current pilot study evaluated the impact of a creative yoga intervention on the joint attention, social communication, and affective states of children with ASD. METHODS: 24 school-aged children with ASD received eight weeks of yoga (e.g., breathing, poses, relaxation) or tabletop play/academic intervention (e.g., reading, arts-crafts, building activities). Children were tested before and after the intervention using a standardized measure of responsive joint attention. Additionally, changes in socially directed verbal communication and affective states of children were assessed three times during the intervention period, i.e. during early, mid, and late intervention sessions. RESULTS: Children with ASD showed improvements in responsive joint attention in both groups in the posttest vs. the pretest. Furthermore, children in the yoga group showed improvements in socially directed verbal communication skills across the intervention sessions, i.e. greater spontaneous and responsive communication from early/mid to late intervention sessions compared to the academic group. There were no changes in affective states with the intervention, however, the yoga group showed greater interested and less negative affect compared to the academic group. CONCLUSIONS: Creative yoga intervention is a promising tool that led to improvements in intervention-related social communication skills and generalized joint attention skills of children with ASD.
Authors: Britta K Hölzel; Ulrich Ott; Hannes Hempel; Andrea Hackl; Katharina Wolf; Rudolf Stark; Dieter Vaitl Journal: Neurosci Lett Date: 2007-05-25 Impact factor: 3.046
Authors: Leslie A Daly; Sara C Haden; Marshall Hagins; Nicholas Papouchis; Paul Michael Ramirez Journal: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med Date: 2015-08-19 Impact factor: 2.629
Authors: Matthew J Maenner; Kelly A Shaw; Jon Baio; Anita Washington; Mary Patrick; Monica DiRienzo; Deborah L Christensen; Lisa D Wiggins; Sydney Pettygrove; Jennifer G Andrews; Maya Lopez; Allison Hudson; Thaer Baroud; Yvette Schwenk; Tiffany White; Cordelia Robinson Rosenberg; Li-Ching Lee; Rebecca A Harrington; Margaret Huston; Amy Hewitt; Amy Esler; Jennifer Hall-Lande; Jenny N Poynter; Libby Hallas-Muchow; John N Constantino; Robert T Fitzgerald; Walter Zahorodny; Josephine Shenouda; Julie L Daniels; Zachary Warren; Alison Vehorn; Angelica Salinas; Maureen S Durkin; Patricia M Dietz Journal: MMWR Surveill Summ Date: 2020-03-27