Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. Trampoline exercise is a movement-based program that has been proposed as beneficial for children with autism or sensory integration and processing challenges. This session shares data from a pretest–posttest study documenting motor and psychosocial improvements in children who participated in a structured trampoline exercise group. Results suggest this is a potentially effective school-based or community-based method to address both the motor and the social needs of these children. Primary Author and Speaker: Sarah A. Schoen Additional Authors and Speakers: Vincentia Ferrari, Virginia Spielmann

Background: A developing area for therapy is teaching children to ride a bicycle. Little has been written about the effectiveness of these programs. This study explored outcomes from participation in a novel bicycle riding program for children with a wide array of developmental challenges. Method: Two studies were conducted; a nonconcurrent, multiple baseline design with four participants and a pretest–posttest single group with 15 children. Results: Study 1 participants improved on broad jump. Balance positions showed variable responses. Study 2 participants showed significant improvement on broad jump, and a trend toward significance walking forwards and backwards. Parents reported improvement in following rules, participating in daily routines, interacting with peers, and feeling good about him/herself and a change in child’s participation in community and extracurricular activities. All children improved in glide time or achieved independent riding. Conclusions: Preliminary evidence was found for the effectiveness of one approach for developing motor and social skills within the context of learning to ride a bicycle. Children over the age of 6 years were able to ride a two-wheeled bicycle at the end of the program. Participation suggested improvement in motor coordination and dynamic balance as well as changes in measures of social interaction and self-esteem.

Date Presented 03/27/20 Trampoline exercise is a movement-based program that has been proposed as beneficial for children with autism or sensory-processing and integration challenges. Data is presented from a pretest–posttest study of motor and psychosocial changes in children who participated in a structured trampoline exercise group. Results suggest this is a potentially effective school- or community-based method to address both the motor and social needs of children with autism and sensory-processing challenges. Primary Author and Speaker: Sarah Schoen Additional Authors and Speakers: Vincentia Ferrari, Virginia Spielmann Contributing Authors: Andrea Valdez