Effects of a Combined Physical Activity and Educational Drama Intervention on Core Symptoms and Physical Fitness in Children with ASD

This study evaluated the effects of a 12-week combined physical activity and educational drama intervention on core symptoms and physical fitness in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Twenty children were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 10), receiving the combined intervention, or a control group (n = 10), receiving conventional physical activity. Outcomes were assessed using the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R), Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2), and a physical fitness test battery. Results indicated that both groups showed significant improvements in repetitive behaviors and physical fitness. However, the experimental group demonstrated significantly greater reductions in stereotyped behaviors, restricted behaviors, and social impairments—specifically in social communication, motivation, and autistic mannerisms—compared to the control group. These findings suggest that integrating educational drama with physical activity is more effective than physical activity alone in ameliorating core ASD symptoms, offering a promising holistic intervention approach. Ethics : This study has been approved by the Guangzhou Sport University Research Ethics Committee (102772021RT067) . Trail registration number : This study has been registered prospectively in the Chinese Clinical Trail Registry(CTR2500103810).