Sharing Our World: Impact of Group Motor Skill Learning on Joint Attention in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Researchers studied whether basketball lessons could help autistic children pay better attention to things around them. They worked with 49 children aged 4-12 for 12 weeks. Children who did basketball showed better attention skills and had positive brain changes compared to those who didn't. The basketball group got better at looking at important things and their brain connections improved. This suggests sports activities might help autistic children develop better social attention skills.

This study investigated whether group basketball training could improve joint attention in autistic children aged 4-12 years. Forty-nine children from special education centers were divided into experimental (basketball training) and control (standard care) groups over 12 weeks. Results showed the basketball intervention improved joint attention, measured through eye-tracking metrics, and enhanced white matter integrity in brain regions associated with sensory perception and attention. Specifically, improvements in attention correlated with changes in the left superior corona radiata and superior fronto-occipital fasciculus.

The findings suggest group motor skill interventions may effectively address joint attention deficits in autism through neuroplastic changes in white matter connectivity.

Group basketball training shows promise as a clinical intervention for joint attention deficits in autism. The combination of motor skill learning and social group dynamics may provide unique therapeutic benefits. Brain imaging results suggest measurable neuroplastic changes occur, supporting biological plausibility of motor-based interventions for autism symptoms.

Small sample size of 49 participants limits generalizability. Study design unclear from abstract. Short 12-week intervention period may not capture long-term effects. No information provided about randomization, blinding, or control group activities beyond 'standard care'.

Impaired joint attention is a common feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), affecting social interaction and communication. We explored if group basketball learning could enhance joint attention in autistic children, and how this relates to brain changes, particularly white matter development integrity. Forty-nine autistic children, aged 4-12 years, were recruited from special education centers. The experimental group underwent a 12-week basketball motor skill learning, while the control group received standard care.

Eye-tracking and brain scans were conducted. The 12-week basketball motor skill learning improved joint attention in the experimental group, evidenced by better eye tracking metrics and enhanced white matter integrity. Moreover, reduced time to first fixation correlated positively with decreased mean diffusivity of the left superior corona radiata and left superior fronto-occipital fasciculus in the experimental group. Basketball-based motor skill intervention effectively improved joint attention in autistic children.

Improved white matter fiber integrity related to sensory perception, spatial and early attention function may underlie this effect. These findings highlight the potential of group motor skill learning within clinical rehabilitation for treating ASD.