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The Use of a Multicomponent Behavioral Intervention to Promote Physical Activity in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders across Inclusive Community Settings

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Abstract

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are generally less physically active than individuals without disability due to factors such as lack of motor coordination and inadequate transportation resources that can result in various barriers to participation. This affects their independence and may interfere with expectations (e.g., employment) during adulthood. It is essential to explore ways to teach physical activity so people with ASD can generalize skills in community settings. This study examined the effect of a multicomponent behavioral intervention that included (a) the Exercise Buddy application, (b) a system of least prompts, (c) an incremental increase of criteria, and (d) reinforcement to teach three adolescents with ASD functional movement exercises (e.g., squat). All participants increased their mastery of performing these exercises compared to baseline and generalized these skills across two community settings.

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Funding

This study was funded by Ball State University’s Aspire Start-Up grant.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA

    Laura Bassette, Shannon Titus Dieringer & Kimberly A. Zoder-Martell

  2. Northeast Indiana Special Education Cooperative, 1607 N St. Kendallville, Dowling, IN, 46755, USA

    Jessica Kulwicki

  3. Technology Enhanced Learning and Living (TELL), 314 E. Highland Mall Blvd #112, Austin, TX, 78752, USA

    Ryan Heneisen

Authors
  1. Laura Bassette
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  2. Jessica Kulwicki
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  3. Shannon Titus Dieringer
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  4. Kimberly A. Zoder-Martell
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  5. Ryan Heneisen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura Bassette.

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Conflict of Interest

The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Laura Bassette, Department of Special Education, Ball State University; Jessica Kulwicki, Department of Educational Psychology, Ball State University; Shannon Titus Dieringer, Department of Special Education, Ball State University; Kimberly A. Zoder-Martell, Department of Special Education, Ball State University; Ryan Heneisen, Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Ball State University

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Bassette, L., Kulwicki, J., Dieringer, S.T. et al. The Use of a Multicomponent Behavioral Intervention to Promote Physical Activity in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders across Inclusive Community Settings. Behav Analysis Practice 11, 358–369 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-018-00285-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-018-00285-7

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