Tsujishita Soma, Nakashima Daiki, Akizuki Kazunori, Takeuchi Kosuke
Department of Physical Therapy, Kobe International University, Kobe, JPN.
Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Science, Naragakuen University, Nara, JPN.
Cureus. 2025 Jun 14;17(6):e85987. doi: 10.7759/cureus.85987. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Background and aim Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience coordination disorders, but the effects of different training conditions on motor learning in these children remain unclear. This study examined how constant versus variable practice impacts motor performance and learning in children with ASD and motor impairments. Methods Thirty-four children attending child development and daycare centers participated. Assessments included fine motor skills (Purdue Pegboard), gross motor skills (target-target task), visuospatial working memory (Corsi block tapping task), and the developmental disability questionnaire (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). The primary outcome was the change in target-task performance before, during, and after practice, analyzed using repeated measures two-way ANOVA and Pearson's correlation. Results No significant differences were observed for practice conditions or time effects alone, but significant interactions were found (F = 6.641, p = 0.015). Variable practice resulted in reduced pre- to post-test scores (p = 0.047), while constant practice showed stronger correlations between practice improvements and overall performance changes (p = 0.004, r = 0.666). Prosocial behavior was positively associated with performance improvements in the constant practice group (p = 0.018, r = 0.564). No significant correlations were found in the variable practice group. Conclusions Constant practice yielded greater motor learning improvements than variable practice. Additionally, prosocial behavior positively influenced motor learning in structured settings, highlighting the potential benefits of integrating motor and social skill interventions for children with ASD.
背景与目的 自闭症谱系障碍(ASD)儿童可能会出现协调障碍,但不同训练条件对这些儿童运动学习的影响仍不明确。本研究考察了固定练习与可变练习对患有ASD和运动障碍儿童的运动表现及学习的影响。方法 34名在儿童发展和日托中心就读的儿童参与了研究。评估内容包括精细运动技能(普渡钉板测验)、粗大运动技能(目标-目标任务)、视觉空间工作记忆(科西方块敲击任务)以及发育障碍问卷(长处与困难问卷)。主要结果是练习前、练习期间和练习后的目标任务表现变化,采用重复测量双向方差分析和皮尔逊相关性分析。结果 单独的练习条件或时间效应未观察到显著差异,但发现了显著的交互作用(F = 6.641,p = 0.015)。可变练习导致测试前至测试后的分数降低(p = 0.047),而固定练习在练习进步与整体表现变化之间显示出更强的相关性(p = 0.004,r = 0.666)。在固定练习组中,亲社会行为与表现改善呈正相关(p = 0.018,r = 0.564)。在可变练习组中未发现显著相关性。结论 与可变练习相比,固定练习产生了更大的运动学习进步。此外,亲社会行为在结构化环境中对运动学习有积极影响,突出了为ASD儿童整合运动和社交技能干预的潜在益处。