Preliminary Results of Sensorimotor Room Training for the Improvement of Sensory and Motor Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
<i>Background:</i> Motor skills in early and middle childhood are essential for physical play, social interactions, and academic development. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit atypical sensory responses, which can impact self-care and other developmental areas. T...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Pediatric Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7503/17/1/4 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849719660068470784 |
|---|---|
| author | Giulia Savarese Rosa Mandia Aldo Diavoletto Michele Piscitelli Francesca Impemba Annatania Di Siervi Luna Carpinelli Franca Bottiglieri Marianna Sessa Giulio Corrivetti |
| author_facet | Giulia Savarese Rosa Mandia Aldo Diavoletto Michele Piscitelli Francesca Impemba Annatania Di Siervi Luna Carpinelli Franca Bottiglieri Marianna Sessa Giulio Corrivetti |
| author_sort | Giulia Savarese |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Background:</i> Motor skills in early and middle childhood are essential for physical play, social interactions, and academic development. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit atypical sensory responses, which can impact self-care and other developmental areas. This study explores the impact of sensory and motor rehabilitation using a Motor Sensory Room to stimulate motor development in children with ASD. <i>Methods:</i> Twenty-five children with ASD, preschool and school-aged (2–10 years), were divided into three groups based on the DSM-5 severity levels. The PEP-3 scale was used to assess cognitive, language, motor, emotional, social, and behavioral development. Ten children underwent a 3-month Motor Sensory Room intervention, and data were collected longitudinally. A control group of ten children, matched in age, sex, and diagnosis, did not receive the intervention. A 12-month follow-up is planned for all participants. <i>Results:</i> Children exhibited diverse profiles. Type B subjects displayed more severe symptoms, while Type A showed milder symptoms with better language and interpersonal skills. After the 3-month intervention, improvements were noted in several PEP-3 areas. For sensory levels (hypo-reactivity), the percentage of individuals at medium levels increased from 44% to 50%. For hyper-reactivity, the percentage at medium levels rose from 30% to 40%. Motor skills improved, with the percentage of individuals with high motor abilities rising from 20% to 25%. Relational behaviors also saw gains, with an increase from 50% to 55% in medium-level behaviors. The experimental group demonstrated better outcomes compared to the control group, particularly in sensory and motor skills. <i>Conclusions:</i> Preliminary findings suggest that sensory and motor training in a Motor Sensory Room improves sensory integration, motor coordination, and social interaction in children with ASD. Further research is needed to confirm long-term benefits. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7ca3eb9e1c734f3ca96fc73406c10925 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2036-7503 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pediatric Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-7ca3eb9e1c734f3ca96fc73406c109252025-08-20T03:12:06ZengMDPI AGPediatric Reports2036-75032025-01-01171410.3390/pediatric17010004Preliminary Results of Sensorimotor Room Training for the Improvement of Sensory and Motor Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum DisordersGiulia Savarese0Rosa Mandia1Aldo Diavoletto2Michele Piscitelli3Francesca Impemba4Annatania Di Siervi5Luna Carpinelli6Franca Bottiglieri7Marianna Sessa8Giulio Corrivetti9Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Baronissi Campus, 84081 Baronissi, ItalyCooperativa Giovamente, 84126 Salerno, ItalyASL Salerno, 84124, Salerno, ItalyCooperativa Giovamente, 84126 Salerno, ItalyCooperativa Giovamente, 84126 Salerno, ItalyCooperativa Giovamente, 84126 Salerno, ItalyDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Baronissi Campus, 84081 Baronissi, ItalyASL Salerno, 84124, Salerno, ItalyASL Salerno, 84124, Salerno, ItalyASL Salerno, 84124, Salerno, Italy<i>Background:</i> Motor skills in early and middle childhood are essential for physical play, social interactions, and academic development. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit atypical sensory responses, which can impact self-care and other developmental areas. This study explores the impact of sensory and motor rehabilitation using a Motor Sensory Room to stimulate motor development in children with ASD. <i>Methods:</i> Twenty-five children with ASD, preschool and school-aged (2–10 years), were divided into three groups based on the DSM-5 severity levels. The PEP-3 scale was used to assess cognitive, language, motor, emotional, social, and behavioral development. Ten children underwent a 3-month Motor Sensory Room intervention, and data were collected longitudinally. A control group of ten children, matched in age, sex, and diagnosis, did not receive the intervention. A 12-month follow-up is planned for all participants. <i>Results:</i> Children exhibited diverse profiles. Type B subjects displayed more severe symptoms, while Type A showed milder symptoms with better language and interpersonal skills. After the 3-month intervention, improvements were noted in several PEP-3 areas. For sensory levels (hypo-reactivity), the percentage of individuals at medium levels increased from 44% to 50%. For hyper-reactivity, the percentage at medium levels rose from 30% to 40%. Motor skills improved, with the percentage of individuals with high motor abilities rising from 20% to 25%. Relational behaviors also saw gains, with an increase from 50% to 55% in medium-level behaviors. The experimental group demonstrated better outcomes compared to the control group, particularly in sensory and motor skills. <i>Conclusions:</i> Preliminary findings suggest that sensory and motor training in a Motor Sensory Room improves sensory integration, motor coordination, and social interaction in children with ASD. Further research is needed to confirm long-term benefits.https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7503/17/1/4autism spectrum disorder (ASD)motor developmentsensory integrationsensory-motor rehabilitationsensory motor room |
| spellingShingle | Giulia Savarese Rosa Mandia Aldo Diavoletto Michele Piscitelli Francesca Impemba Annatania Di Siervi Luna Carpinelli Franca Bottiglieri Marianna Sessa Giulio Corrivetti Preliminary Results of Sensorimotor Room Training for the Improvement of Sensory and Motor Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Pediatric Reports autism spectrum disorder (ASD) motor development sensory integration sensory-motor rehabilitation sensory motor room |
| title | Preliminary Results of Sensorimotor Room Training for the Improvement of Sensory and Motor Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders |
| title_full | Preliminary Results of Sensorimotor Room Training for the Improvement of Sensory and Motor Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders |
| title_fullStr | Preliminary Results of Sensorimotor Room Training for the Improvement of Sensory and Motor Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders |
| title_full_unstemmed | Preliminary Results of Sensorimotor Room Training for the Improvement of Sensory and Motor Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders |
| title_short | Preliminary Results of Sensorimotor Room Training for the Improvement of Sensory and Motor Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders |
| title_sort | preliminary results of sensorimotor room training for the improvement of sensory and motor skills in children with autism spectrum disorders |
| topic | autism spectrum disorder (ASD) motor development sensory integration sensory-motor rehabilitation sensory motor room |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7503/17/1/4 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT giuliasavarese preliminaryresultsofsensorimotorroomtrainingfortheimprovementofsensoryandmotorskillsinchildrenwithautismspectrumdisorders AT rosamandia preliminaryresultsofsensorimotorroomtrainingfortheimprovementofsensoryandmotorskillsinchildrenwithautismspectrumdisorders AT aldodiavoletto preliminaryresultsofsensorimotorroomtrainingfortheimprovementofsensoryandmotorskillsinchildrenwithautismspectrumdisorders AT michelepiscitelli preliminaryresultsofsensorimotorroomtrainingfortheimprovementofsensoryandmotorskillsinchildrenwithautismspectrumdisorders AT francescaimpemba preliminaryresultsofsensorimotorroomtrainingfortheimprovementofsensoryandmotorskillsinchildrenwithautismspectrumdisorders AT annataniadisiervi preliminaryresultsofsensorimotorroomtrainingfortheimprovementofsensoryandmotorskillsinchildrenwithautismspectrumdisorders AT lunacarpinelli preliminaryresultsofsensorimotorroomtrainingfortheimprovementofsensoryandmotorskillsinchildrenwithautismspectrumdisorders AT francabottiglieri preliminaryresultsofsensorimotorroomtrainingfortheimprovementofsensoryandmotorskillsinchildrenwithautismspectrumdisorders AT mariannasessa preliminaryresultsofsensorimotorroomtrainingfortheimprovementofsensoryandmotorskillsinchildrenwithautismspectrumdisorders AT giuliocorrivetti preliminaryresultsofsensorimotorroomtrainingfortheimprovementofsensoryandmotorskillsinchildrenwithautismspectrumdisorders |