The Use of Yoga in Children with Autism

Date

2021

Authors

Gracia, Lezirel
Salem, Yasser
Liu, Howe

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Abstract

Purpose: Yoga is a Complementary and Alternative Medicine that uses breathing exercises, physical postures, and meditation to promote overall health. Over the last several years studies of yoga effects on children with autism have been published, but there was no literature report that analyzed and synthesized these available studies. Thus, the purpose of this systemic review was to examine the evidence regarding the effectiveness of yoga for children with autism. Methods: Articles were searched by using electronic databases PubMed, CINAHL, PEDro, and Scopus. A list of relevant literature was compiled and sorted based on predefined article selection criteria. The inclusion criteria included children up to the age of 18 years old with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and any form of yoga used as the main exercise intervention. The exclusion criteria were systematic reviews, adults with autism, presence of other neurological disorders/diagnosis, or no-English version of a relevant article. Results: A total of 11 articles with 333 participants were analyzed. The articles analyzed were randomized control study, quasi-experimental, single group pretest-posttest, and pretest-posttest control group. There were wide ranges of participants' ages, sample sizes, intervention parameters, yoga exercises, and outcome measures used in the studies. Overall improvements were observed in behavior changes that consisted of communication, social interaction, and imitation skills. Conclusions: The evidence suggest that yoga exercises are effective in improving common behaviors seen in children with autism. Those being improvements in symptoms such as improved behavioral problems, social, emotional, and communication skills.

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Research Appreciation Day Award Winner - 2021 School of Health Professions, 2021 Physical Therapy Program Poster Award - 1st Place
Research Appreciation Day Award Winner - 2021 School of Health Professions, 2021 Physical Therapy Program Poster Award - 1st Place

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