Effects of an Adapted Tennis Programme on Adaptive Behaviour in Adults with Asperger’s Syndrome: A Pre-Post Study Using the Vineland-II.

Introduction Asperger’s syndrome, included in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) according to the DSM-5, is characterized by impairments in communication and social interaction, along with restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Although interest in using structured physical activity as an habilitative tool for individuals with ASD is growing, there is still limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of individual sports such as tennis. Objective To assess the effectiveness of a structured tennis-based sports intervention in adults diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (VABS-II). Methods Sixteen adults diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome (mean age: 20.4 ± 7.7 years) participated in a five-week tennis program, consisting of two sessions per week. Adaptive functioning in the domains of communication, daily living skills, and socialization was assessed with VABS-II before (T0) and after (T1) the intervention. Statistical analysis included paired-samples t-tests and ANCOVA to control for the effects of age and baseline functioning level. Results A significant improvement was observed in the communication domain (p = 0.026), with a mean increase of +1.81 points. No statistically significant changes were found in the other domains. ANCOVA confirmed that the baseline score was the main predictor of post-treatment outcome across all domains. Age did not appear to be an influencing factor, except for a trend toward significance in the daily living skills domain (p = 0.058). Conclusions Tennis, as a structured and rule-based individual physical activity that also encourages turn-taking, proved effective in promoting improvements in communication skills in adults with level 1 ASD. These findings are consistent with previous literature on other forms of physical activity and support the inclusion of sport in educational and rehabilitative programs for this population. Further studies with larger samples and controlled designs are warranted to confirm these results and explore the underlying mechanisms.