Balance in Transitional Age Youth with Autism Spectrum and Neurodevelopmental Disorders during a 6-Week Comprehensive Wellness Program

Abstract

Young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are at an increased risk of poor balance and coordination due to sensory deficits. Specifically, reactive postural control impairments have been well documented among individual’s with ASD, however, research suggests that interventions can improve these associated deficiencies. The Piece It Together (PIT) program is a community-based comprehensive program designed to provide wellness opportunities among teens and young adults with ASD and other mild Neurodevelopmental Deficits (ND). The PIT curriculum includes exercise, nutrition, stress management, and socialization with a focus on strength and endurance training geared towards improving everyday functioning through the increase of awareness and participation in daily healthy lifestyle behaviors. Twenty participants, aged 14-29, attended 90-minute classes at the MUSC Wellness Center twice a week for six weeks and were encouraged to increase their physical activity daily. The mini-Balance Evaluations Systems Test (miniBEST) was administered during the first and last class session to assess balance changes among all study participants over the 6-weeks. Results showed significantly improved balance scores at the end of the program, from 23.9 to 25.2 (p = 0.028). Overall, the 6-week PIT program successfully improved balance and coordination in teens and young adults with ASD or mild ND. *Corresponding author: Eve Spratt, MD, MSCR, Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Director, Pediatric Psychiatry, Division of Developmental Pediatrics, Co-Director Piece it Together and Brain Health, Physical Health, Telehealth, Medical University of South Carolina, USA, Tel: 843-876-0444 ISSN: 2469-5718 DOI: 10.23937/2469-5718/1510138 Spratt et al. Int J Sports Exerc Med 2019, 5:138 • Page 2 of 6 • control a large degree of their overall attitude and feelings of self-efficacy toward physical activity. In other words, the inability to balance among those with ASD may subconsciously alter their initial readiness, empowerment, confidence, and therefore, their willingness to engage in exercise. If individuals with ASD are more likely to avoid behaviors that require them to balance, this may subconsciously drive them to show an increase in interest and participation for behaviors that are primarily sedentary and less physical in nature. This may explain the alarming rates of sedentary behavior, lack of physical activity, and increase in obesity and chronic disease risk that appear more evident among the ASD population. Preliminary research suggests that exercise interventions can not only be beneficial in improving motor issues, but also beneficial in improving social deficits and behavioral problems [29-31]. Additionally, interventions of physical therapists to improve these motor deficits is promising [32]. However, more research is necessary to determine the best protocol for intervention programs to address the aforementioned issues in the ASD population. This Piece It Together research study hopes to illuminate some answers to this question. Piece It Together is a comprehensive wellness intervention program devised to address barriers to holistic wellness specific amongst the population of adolescents and young adults with ASD and other developmental disabilities. The Piece It Together multidisciplinary approach has been created through the collaboration of physicians, physical and occupational therapists, personal trainers, and registered dieticians and tailored to better serve the ASD population. Based on the target population, Piece It Together focuses on five main pillars: exercise, nutrition, socialization, stress relief, and getting out of your comfort zone. Effort is focused on promoting the long-term adoption of healthy lifestyle habits. Additional reports have discussed the effectiveness of the PIT intervention in improving body composition, physical fitness, exercise habits, eating habits, mood, and will discuss success, challenges, and future directions to assist similar programs around the nation. While additional outcomes such as strength, flexibility, depression and anxiety, were collected as part of the larger PIT program, the purpose of this pilot study was to assess balance over the course of the 6-week wellness program.