Work

Effects of fine motor-skill oriented sports games on core symptoms in children with autism: a randomized controlled trial

Year: 2026

Type: article

Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial

Abstract: AIMS: Based on the observed correlation between core symptoms and fine motor function in children with ASD, this study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of a novel, fine motor task-oriented sports game intervention, compared to traditional SI. METHODS: Forty-five children with ASD were randomly allocated to two groups. The experimental group received the fine motor-oriented sports game intervention, while the control group received traditional SI. Core symptoms and fine motor function were assessed using the ABC, CABS, CARS, and PDMS-FM scales at both baseline and post-intervention, with the ABC scale serving as the primary outcome measure. RESULTS: In the randomized comparison, the experimental group showed superior outcomes to the control group post-intervention, with significantly greater reductions in ABC, CARS, and CABS scores and a greater increase in PDMS-FM score (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The fine motor-oriented sports game intervention proved more effective than SI in ameliorating the core symptoms and improving fine motor function in children with ASD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study has been registered at ChiCTR.org (ChiCTR2400086052) on 2024-06-24.

Source: Trials

DOI: 10.1186/s13063-026-09651-1

Authors: Yue Song, Jia Guo, Fengjie Yang, Yazeng Wu, Ping Zhang, Qiusheng Chen

Institutions: Wuhan Children's Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,790