Date Presented 03/27/20
Researchers conducted a systematic review that analyzed leisure participation among individuals with ASD between the ages of 6 and 22. Physical, recreational, and social leisure were examined. Results showed that as individuals transition from childhood to adolescence, there is a decline in the amount of leisure participation. Clinicians can utilize these results to guide their practices and maximize outcomes within this population to increase leisure engagement.
Primary Author and Speaker: Cassondra Salmons
Additional Authors and Speakers: Brittney Crane
Contributing Authors: Claudia Hilton, Emily Mueller, Brady Prindle, Hannah Doggett
PURPOSE: The purpose of this systematic review was to examine existing studies focusing on the leisure patterns of children and adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder ranging from ages 6-22. This systematic review aimed to guide occupational therapy evaluations and interventions to increase leisure participation within this population as previous studies have identified decreased rates of engagement in leisure activities.
DESIGN: A systematic review was conducted to gain information from quantitative studies about children and adolescents with ASD within the age ranges of 6-22.
METHOD: The aim focused on social participation and leisure in adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Titles and abstracts were reviewed from the search sites CINAHL, PubMed, American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT), Scopus, Cochrane, and Prospero. A hand search was conducted through the AJOT website regarding topics of autism spectrum disorder. Articles that were about children within the age ranges of 6-22 were included. 17 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis.
RESULTS: Examining the literature, several themes were found across leisure categories. It was largely determined that participation in physical, recreational, and social recreation all decreased in quantity compared to typically developing peers.2-4 Individuals with ASD were less likely to participate in sports or moderate to vigorous physical activity and were more likely to participate in sedentary activities compared to typically developing individuals.4,9,10,19 Additionally in the social category of leisure, individuals with ASD reported less contact with friends and lower number of friends overall compared to typically developing individuals on several accounts.1,8,11 In all categories of leisure, there was also a common finding that within the group of individuals with ASD separated by age, adolescents experienced decreased participation compared to children, showing a correlation that as age increases, participation in leisure decreases. For instance, children with ASD before age 10 were more likely to participate in physical activity than their preteen/teen peers.1,3,4
CONCLUSION: Occupational therapists can utilize these findings to help guide evaluations and interventions, keeping in mind possible decreased participation in leisure areas for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder to maximize outcomes in the population.
IMPACT STATEMENT: This systematic review expands the understanding of changes in leisure patterns for children with ASD who are entering adolescence.
References
Eversole, M., Collins, D. M., Karmarkar, A., Colton, L., Quinn, J. P., Karsbaek, R., ... & Hilton, C. L. (2016). Leisure activity enjoyment of children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 46(1), 10-20. doi: 10.1007/s10803-015-2529-z.
Hochhauser, M. & Engel-Yeger, B. (2010). Sensory processing abilities and their relation to participation in leisure activities among children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD). Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 4(4), 746-754. doi: 10.1016/j.rasd.2010.01.015
