Work

Dance- and movement-based interventions for autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis

Year: 2026

Type: review

Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis

Abstract: Objectives Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition characterized by difficulties in social communication, restricted and repetitive behaviors, and impaired adaptive functioning. Although behavioral and developmental interventions remain central to ASD management, the effects of dance- and movement-based interventions (DMIs) across different functional domains have not been fully clarified. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of DMIs on overall autism symptom severity, social communication/social responsiveness, and motor function in individuals with ASD. Methods This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. Eligible DMIs included formal dance/movement therapy or dance movement psychotherapy and other structured dance- or purposeful movement programs in which movement constituted a central therapeutic or rehabilitative component. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO were searched from inception to August 2026. Randomized and non-randomized controlled studies were not combined in the same primary meta-analysis. Randomized studies reporting sufficiently comparable outcomes were synthesized using standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) under random-effects models. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2 and ROBINS-I, and certainty of evidence was evaluated using GRADE. Results Twelve controlled studies involving individuals with ASD were included and showed substantial variation in intervention format, comparator conditions, outcome measures, and risk of bias. Exploratory RCT-only meta-analyses included three studies for social communication/social responsiveness (n = 76; SMD = −0.68, 95% CI: −1.58 to 0.23; p = 0.15; I² = 72%) and three studies for motor function (n = 55; SMD = 2.04, 95% CI: −0.52 to 4.61; p = 0.12; I² = 92%); certainty of evidence was very low for both domains. Overall autism symptom severity was represented by one randomized trial (n = 30; SMD = −3.09, 95% CI: −4.19 to −1.99), resulting in low-certainty evidence and precluding pooling. Narrative synthesis identified potentially favorable signals in joint engagement, cooperative behavior, interpersonal synchrony, emotion inference, and gesture imitation, but these findings arose from small and heterogeneous studies. Conclusion The current evidence base for DMIs is small, heterogeneous, and of low to very low certainty. Structured narrative synthesis suggests possible domain-specific benefits, whereas exploratory pooled estimates for social communication/social responsiveness and motor function remain inconclusive. DMIs may have potential as complementary interventions for ASD, but larger, methodologically rigorous randomized trials with standardized interventions and outcome measures are required. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261495230 , identifier CRD420261495230.

Source: Frontiers in Psychiatry

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1994047

Authors: Xiangyu Meng, Zhixi Xiang, Jun Wang

Institutions: South Central Minzu University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hubei University of 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: $3,801