Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations.
Trampoline exercise is a movement-based program that has been proposed as beneficial for children with autism or sensory integration and processing challenges. This session shares data from a pretest–posttest study documenting motor and psychosocial improvements in children who participated in a structured trampoline exercise group. Results suggest this is a potentially effective school-based or community-based method to address both the motor and the social needs of these children.
Primary Author and Speaker: Sarah A. Schoen
Additional Authors and Speakers: Vincentia Ferrari, Virginia Spielmann
PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to describe features of a therapeutic trampoline exercise group and identify outcomes from participation. Rationale: Groups are a cost-effective method of treatment that can address motor concerns while supporting peer interaction and engagement. Parents express concern about locating appropriate group experiences for their child with autism or sensory integration/processing challenges or finding movement-based groups for a child with differing motor abilities. Trampoline exercise is a movement program proposed as beneficial in enhancing motivation and participation in movement activities in children with developmental challenges (Giagazoglou, Sidiropoulou, Mitsiou, Arabatzi, & Kellis, 2015).
DESIGN: An initial study piloted procedures, assessed feasibility of the methodology and identified sensitive outcome measure, followed by this quasi-experimental single group pre-test post-test study. Participants were recruited from a private clinic treating children with sensory processing and integration challenges who were referred to the group following a comprehensive occupational therapy evaluation that identified difficulties in postural control, motor planning and motor performance as well as parent concern in social participation.
METHOD: Twenty-eight children from seven consecutive trampoline groups (each with 3 to 6 children) participated in the pretest posttest study; 22 males and 6 females, ages 4-10, with a mean age of 6 years. All had sensory integration/processing challenges, seven of whom had an additional diagnosis of autism. Each group received eight to ten, 50-minute sessions of trampoline exercise. Each child was assigned their own trampoline and the class followed the protocol of the Bellicon JumpOnIt! Get Moving! program. Outcome measures included Balance, duration of one-foot standing balance, eyes open and Broad Jump. Draw a Person (DAP) was included as a proxy for body awareness (Lampe, Lutzow, Blumenstein, Turova & Avles-Pinto, 2016). Parents completed the Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS; Gresham & Elliott, 2008), and the Sensory Processing Three Dimensions Occupational Performance Scale (SP3D-OPS; Miller, Schoen, & Mulligan, 2018). A parent report visual analog scale (VAS) captured carryover of gains into home, school and community environments. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test.
RESULTS: All procedures were feasible and sensitive outcome measures were identified. Motor outcomes showed significant improvement for Broad Jump (p = .009) but not for Balance (p = .178), although the duration of Balance changed in the expected direction. DAP scores (p = .543) remained unchanged. The SSIS reflected improvement in social skills (p = .008) and behavior problems (p = .002). The SP3D-OPS showed improvement in Relationships (p = .003) and Daily Routines (p = .026). Self-care (p = .070) and Extracurricular (p = .098) participation were not significant but changed in the expected direction. Success in school (p = .670) was unchanged. Parents reported improvement in VAS questions related to self-confidence during movement activities, ability to follow rules, participation in daily routines, interaction with peers, engagement with family, feeling good about self and ability to stay calm (all p = .001).
CONCLUSION: Preliminary effectiveness was found for a trampoline exercise program for children with autism and sensory integration/processing challenges. Motor gains as well as psychosocial gains suggest this as a beneficial program.
IMPACT STATEMENT: Trampoline exercise offers an alternative therapy program for children with autism or sensory integration/processing challenges that can address concerns in motor function and social par.
References
Giagazoglou, P., Sidiropoulou, M., Mitsiou, M., Arabatzi, F., & Kellis, E. (2015). Can balance trampoline training promote motor coordination and balance performance in children with developmental coordination disorder? Research in Developmental Disabilities, 36, 13-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2014.09.010
Gresham, F. M., & Elliott, S. N. (2008). Social skills improvement system (SSIS): Rating scales manual. San Antonio, TX: Pearson.
Lampe, R., Lützow, I., Blumenstein, T., Turova, V., & Alves-Pinto, A. (2016). Critical analysis of children’s drawings as a diagnostic tool for body schema and body image disorder in cerebral palsy. Neuroscience & Medicine, 7, 133-148. https://doi.org/10.4235/nm.2016.74014
Miller, L. J., Schoen, S. A., & Mulligan, S. (2018). Sensory processing three dimensions scale (SP3D). unpublished manuscript.
