The effectiveness of perceptual-motor exercises on sensory integration in 6- to 12-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder (Level 2)

Background and Aims: Sensory integration is among the most vulnerable domains in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and its dysfunction can negatively impact their daily functioning and participation. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of perceptual-motor training on improving sensory integration in children aged 6 to 12 years with ASD.

Materials and Methods: This semi-experimental study utilized a pretest-posttest design with a control group. Forty children aged 6 to 12 years with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD were randomly assigned—after meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria and matched for age, severity of disorder, and gender—into two groups: experimental (n = 20; 10 boys, 10 girls) and control (n = 20; 10 boys, 10 girls). The experimental group received 11 structured sessions of perceptual-motor exercises (23 minutes per session, three sessions per week, over four weeks) based on a standardized protocol. The control group continued only with routine treatments. All ethical principles were strictly observed, including obtaining informed consent from parents and ensuring data confidentiality. Data were collected with the Sensory Integration Questionnaire by Parham et al. (2007), whose validity and reliability have been confirmed in Iran. Data analysis was performed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS.

Results: The results showed that the mean sensory integration score in the experimental group increased significantly after the intervention compared to the control group (p < 0.01). Homogeneity of variances and normality of data were assessed and confirmed. The study’s limitations included focusing on a specific age range and not assessing the long-term effects of the intervention.

Conclusion: The findings indicate that perceptual-motor exercises can lead to a significant improvement in sensory integration among children aged 6 to 12 years with ASD, as evidenced by higher post-test scores in the intervention group compared to the control group. Accordingly, these interventions may be recommended as an effective approach to enhance sensory skills, daily functioning, and social participation in children with autism. However, given the focus on a limited age range and not evaluating other levels of severity or comorbid disorders, generalizing the results to the entire population of children with ASD requires further research. Furthermore, although the study’s randomized design and gender diversity strengthen the validity of the findings, follow-up studies examining the long-term and functional outcomes across different life domains are recommended.