Effect of aerobic exercises on autistic features in children with autism spectrum disorder / Hadeer Abdallah Abdelkhalik ; Supervised Eman Ibrahim Elhadidy , Samia A. Abdelrahman , Kamilia Saad Abdelhamid

Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Physical Therapy - Department of Growth and Development Disorders in Pediatrics

Background: Autism spectrum disorderis alife-long neuro-developmental conditioninterfering with the person{u2019}s ability to communicate and relate to others.Objectives: To determine the effect of aerobic exercises on the autistic features in children with autism spectrum disorder andto determine if there is a relation between these autistic features and the functional capacity of such children. Methods: Thirty children with autism spectrum disorder aged from 5 to 8 years old were recruited from the pediatric clinic of Al-Mataria Teaching Hospital,Cairo. Their autism index ranged from mild to moderate according to Arabic version of Gilliam Autism Rating Scale. They were classified into two groups of equal number (Study group A and control group B). Both groups received speech therapy and omega-3 fatty acids while groupA received additional aerobic exercises in the form of walking on treadmill. Aerobic exercises were conducted three times/week for three successive months. Autistic features were assessed by Arabic version of Gilliam Autism Rating Scale before and after intervention while the functional capacity was assessed by the six-minute walk test before intervention

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