ERIC Number: EJ1119308
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Dec
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1088-3576
EISSN: N/A
The Impact of Aquatic Exercise on Sleep Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study
Oriel, Kathryn N.; Kanupka, Jennifer Wood; DeLong, Kylee S.; Noel, Kelsie
Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, v31 n4 p254-261 Dec 2016
The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if participation in an aquatic exercise program improves sleep in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Participants included 8 children. An A-B-A withdrawal design was utilized. Each phase lasted for 4 weeks. The treatment included 60 min of aquatic exercise 2X/week. Phone calls to parents of the participants were made throughout the duration of the study. Parents were asked questions related to sleep latency, nighttime wakenings, and sleep duration. A one way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilized to determine if differences existed between phases. Statistically significant difference existed for sleep latency (p < 0.001) and sleep duration (p < 0.001). These results suggest that participation in aquatic exercise may improve the sleep habits of children with ASD.
Descriptors: Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Autism, Pilot Projects, Sleep, Aquatic Sports, Exercise Physiology, Questionnaires, Habit Formation, Elementary School Students, Statistical Analysis, Parent Attitudes, Incidence, Intervention, Child Behavior, Behavior Change
SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A