How Does Exercise Benefit Children with Autism?

Regular exercise has been shown to be generally beneficial for children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but less is known about how exercise might help children with ASD in specific aspects of development.

To shed light on this question, researchers performed a meta-analysis of 33 randomized controlled trials looking at the effect of physical activity on motor, social, communication, and executive functioning skills in 1080 children with ASD (age range, 4 to 15 years; 65% boys). Studies that included participants with severe intellectual disability, genetic syndromes, or significant uncontrolled psychiatric, neurological, or physical impairments were excluded.