A Meta-analysis of the intervention effects of ball sports on children with autism Spectrum disorder.

Acta Psychol (Amst)Jul 15, 2026 (epub)
Clinical ResearchPediatricsPsychiatry

Yiling Wang, Lan Luo, Yuxi Da et al.

✦ AI-curated · Sources linked

In 30 seconds

This meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of ball sports interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across 14 randomized controlled trials involving 406 children. The analysis revealed a significant overall intervention effect (SMD = -1.12, 95% CI: -1.56, -0.68, P < 0.05), indicating improvements in social skills, verbal communication, and behavioral problems.

Key findings

  • Ball sports interventions showed a significant overall effect on children with ASD (SMD = -1.12).
  • Improvements in social skills were noted (SMD = -0.55).
  • Verbal communication showed significant enhancement (SMD = -0.85).
  • Behavioral problems were reduced (SMD = -1.10).

Why it matters

The findings suggest that structured ball sports can be an effective adjunct therapy for children with ASD, potentially improving key areas such as social interaction and communication. This could inform therapeutic approaches in pediatric and psychiatric settings.

Source

PubMed · PMID 42456365

Published in Acta Psychol (Amst). This summary was written by xxcode from the publication's abstract and metadata. It is not peer reviewed and is not a substitute for the original article. For clinical decisions, review the original publication.

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