سروین سالار

Background: Autism spectrum disorder is a neuro-developmental disorder with a significant deficiency in communication characteristics, social interactions and stereotyped behaviors. Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate physical activity participation in Iranian children and adolescent with autism spectrum disorders. Materials and Methods: The research method was descriptive and survey. The statistical samples were 370 children and adolescent with ASD, age 8-20 years from Iran. The international physical activity questionnaire for older children and adolescents used for measuring physical activity levels. Data analyzed by using SPSS<sub>23 . Results: The results showed that 73.8% of participants were inactive during the last 7 days; 17.8% of them were active occasionally (1 to 2 times); 6.5% (3 to 4 times) and 1.1% (5 to 6 times) were physically active. During the last 7 days on weekends, 58.2% reported usually sitting position, 22.2% walking or standing, and 14.6% running or active playing and only 1.1% reported lots of running or playing. There was no significant difference in physical activity levels between girls and boys. Conclusion: The results showed the limited participation in physical activity among Iranian children and adolescents with ASD. This study seems to be a helpful for identifying the patterns and promotion of physical activity.

Background: Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) functions as an evaluative instrument designed to assess traits associated with autism. Variances exist within the brain of individuals on the autism spectrum. Moreover, certain exercises have the potential to impact specific regions of the brain. Aim: This study aims to investigate how the program training of this study impact Autism—Spectrum Quotient. Materials and Methods: Forty-two children aged 7-10 years with ASD were recruited to participate in this study. These children were randomly divided into two groups: the control group (N=10, 7.80±1.35 years) and the experimental group (N=32, age: 8.16±1.16 years). The experimental group underwent an 8-week training program. The Autism Spectrum Quotient (ASQ) questionnaire was used to assess the participants' scores in the pretest and posttest. This questionnaire consists of five subscales: social skills, attention switching, attention to details, communication, and imagination, as well as a total score. Results: Based on the results, the program training had an impact on attention to detail (P=0.017) and social skills (P=0.057). However, there was no significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores for attention switching (P=0.096), communication (P=0.07), and imagination (P=0.161). Conclusion: Based on the results, we can conclude that the program had a small but significant effect in terms of quantity. Due to the specific and unique structure of the brain, it takes time to achieve a substantial impact.