Football as an Alternative to Work on the Development of Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder with Level 1

Abstract

Given the characteristics of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, it is evident the difficulties they show in the development of social skills. The scarce participation of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder in group sports can be taken as a reference. The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of football on the development of social skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In order to measure the sporting impact, it was necessary to implement a football training programme with the intention of evaluating different social skills. Thirteen children participated in the programme, all of them with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and with a severity level of 1. The study was based on a pre-experimental, pre-test/post-test design. Non-parametric tests were used for the statistical analysis, applying the Wilcoxon test. Two specific tools on social skills were used for data collection. The results showed a generalised improvement in the dimensions linked to the social skills assessed. This highlights the possibility of considering group sport as an alternative to be taken into account to work on and enhance social skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Dropping Out or Continuing Playing—A Case Study of Adolescent’s Motives for Participation in Football

“…Sport is an important socialisation arena for youngsters, where they gain experience of relationships and are confronted with emotionally challenging situations [ 2 ]. Physical activity and games are highly valued by children and young people the world over and are therefore a good means of developing social skills [ 5 ]. In the future, the importance of retaining young people in sport will increase still further, as children and young people in Norway, and the rest of the world, engage ever increasingly in sedentary activities [ 2 , 6 ].…”

Interventions to Promote the Development of Motor Performance Skills in Primary School Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Trials

“…There is growing evidence to suggest that there is a reciprocal relationship between MPS proficiency and participation in physical activity (Holfelder & Schott, 2014;Xin et al, 2020) and the associated health benefits (i.e., physical, psychological, and social) (Barnett et al, 2016). In children with ASD, MPS proficiency may be a prelude to greater participation in physical activity and opportunities to improve health and also social skills (Lopez-Diaz et al, 2021).…”