Effects of ball combination training program combined with cTBS intervention on motor disorder in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Researchers tested whether combining ball training exercises with brain stimulation therapy could help improve movement difficulties in autistic children. They compared this combined approach to using either treatment alone or no treatment. After 12 weeks, children who received both treatments together showed the biggest improvements in their motor skills, particularly hand coordination. The study suggests that combining different therapies may work better than using just one approach for helping autistic children with movement challenges.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of combining ball combination training program (BCTP) with continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) for improving motor disorders in children with autism spectrum disorder. Fifty participants were randomly assigned to four groups over 12 weeks: cTBS alone, BCTP alone, combined cTBS+BCTP, or control. Motor skills were assessed using the MABC-2. Results showed the combined intervention group achieved the largest improvements in overall motor scores and manual dexterity compared to single interventions or control.

The combined approach demonstrated superior effectiveness with an effect size of 1.03, followed by BCTP alone (0.82) and cTBS alone (0.43), supporting the benefits of multimodal intervention approaches.

Results suggest combining motor training with brain stimulation may enhance motor skill development in autistic children more than single interventions. However, given study limitations, larger controlled trials are needed before clinical implementation. Clinicians should consider multimodal approaches while awaiting stronger evidence.

Small sample size (n=50) with unequal group allocation. Single study design without replication. Limited details on participant characteristics, randomization procedures, and blinding. Short-term follow-up only. Unclear if results generalize to broader autism population or different age ranges.

Purpose In children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), motor disorders (MD) are a common occurrence, and developing effective interventions continues to be challenging. This study aims to investigate the effects of a 12-week ball combination training program (BCTP) combined with continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) on MD in children with ASD. The study employed a 4 (cTBS, BCTP, cTBS*BCTP, control group) × 2 (pre-test, post-test) mixed design methodology. 50 participants were allocated to three experimental groups(38) and one control group(12), receiving interventions for a period of 12 weeks. MD were measured using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children - Second Edition (MABC-2).

Results indicated that the cTBS*BCTP group significantly improved the overall MABC-2 scores (P < 0.05) and Manual dexterity scores (P < 0.05) in children with ASD, and the BCTP group also significantly improved overall MABC-2 scores. Compared to the control group, the effect size for the cTBS*BCTP group was 1.03 (95% CI: 0.13 to 1.94), showing the best intervention effect, outperforming the BCTP group (effect size: 0.82, 95% CI: -0.09 to 1.72) and the cTBS group (effect size: 0.43, 95% CI: -0.38 to 1.23). Overall, the BCTP*cTBS group showed the most significant intervention effects across various dimensions, demonstrating the efficacy of combined interventions in improving MD in children with ASD, confirming that combined interventions are superior to single interventions.