Effect of Perceptual-Motor activities on the Mirror Neurons Training, Behavioral Disorders and Social development in Children with High Functioning Autism

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are developmental conditions characterized by deficits in social interaction, motor performance, and obsessive/stereotyped patterns of behavior. Although there is no reliable neurophysiological marker associated with ASD, dysfunction of the parietal-frontal mirror neuron system has been suggested as a disturbance linked to the disorder.

The purpose of this applied and basic study was to investigate the effect of perceptual-motor training on the mirror neuron activity, behavioral disorders, and social development in children with high function autism.

The pretest-posttest randomized-group research design was used for this quasi-experimental research. Therefore,  12 children with high function autism (7-11 years) were selected from a special school and then assigned into two groups (experimental and control). Social development, behavioral disorders, and mirror neurons activity were assessed at baseline (pre-intervention), week 8 ( post-intervention). The experimental group received perceptual motor training three times per week for 8 weeks). Data were analyzed by independent t-test, mixed 2 ˟ 2 ˟ 2 ˟ 3 ANOVA, mix ANOVA 2 ˟ 2 at the p<0.05 significance.

Results showed that perceptual motor training significantly reduced behavioral disorders(p<0.05), and increased social development in the experimental group(p<0.05). furthermore, there was a significant improvement in MNs activity in the experimental group compared with the control group. (p<0.05).

These results can affect the improvement of autistic children and it emphasized the role of motor skills in autistic children school schedule.