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The Effect of Karate Techniques Training on Communication Deficit of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Abstract

This investigation examined the long term effect of Karate techniques training on communication of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Thirty school aged children with ASD were randomly assigned to an exercise (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). Participants in the exercise group were engaged in 14 weeks of Karate techniques training. Communication deficit at baseline, post-intervention (week 14), and at 1 month follow up were evaluated. Exercise group showed significant reduction in communication deficit compared to control group. Moreover, reduction in communication deficit in the exercise group at one month follow up remained unchanged compared to post-intervention time. We concluded that teaching Karate techniques to children with ASD leads to significant reduction in their communication deficit.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by the University of Isfahan. The authors are very grateful to the parents, caregivers and children with autism who participated in this study and Ms. Roya Gharaati, Chief executive officer of Isfahan Autism Institute, for her collaboration in making children with autism available for this study.

Author Contributions

Miss Fatimah Bahrami contributed in designing the experiment, Data collection, literature search, creating figures, tables, and Online sources. She also worked on writing the manuscript and Critical revision of the article and acted as corresponding author. Dr. Ahmadreza Movahedi contributed in conception, data analysis and interpretation as well as drafting and writing the manuscript. He also helped in Critical revision of the article. Dr. Sayed Mohammad Marandi helped in conception and designing the article. Mr. Carl Sorensen, helped in writing the manuscript. All authors contributed in final approval of the version to be published.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Sport Sciences, University of Isfahan, HezarJarib Street, Isfahan, Iran

    Fatimah Bahrami, Ahmadreza Movahedi & Sayed Mohammad Marandi

  2. University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    Carl Sorensen

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  1. Fatimah Bahrami
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Correspondence to Fatimah Bahrami.

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Bahrami, F., Movahedi, A., Marandi, S.M. et al. The Effect of Karate Techniques Training on Communication Deficit of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 46, 978–986 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2643-y

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