Development of Physical Activity Packages to Increase Attention Span in Children with Autism

Abstract

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in behavior, communication, and social interaction. Children with autism often experience skill limitations, including a reduced attention span and difficulty maintaining focus on a single activity over time. This study aimed to: 1) develop a set of physical activity interventions to enhance the attention span of children with autism, and 2) compare their attention span before and after participating in the intervention. The sample group consisted of five children aged 3 to 6 years who were medically diagnosed with autism and selected through purposive sampling. Research instruments included: 1) a set of physical activity interventions designed to increase attention span, 2) the SNAP-IV behavioral rating scale, and 3) attention span evaluation forms for both teachers and parents. Timed observations were conducted throughout the activities. The intervention lasted five weeks, with sessions held five days per week. Descriptive statistics (mean, percentage, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test were used to analyze the data. This research was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of Khon Kaen University, approval number HE663177.

The results of the study revealed that 1) The developed physical activity set demonstrated strong content validity and suitability, as evaluated by experts at the highest level, indicating the reliability and appropriateness of the tool for the target group. 2) There was a statistically significant increase in attention span among the children after participating in the activities. The total post-intervention score was 708 points (𝑥̅ = 4.72, S.D. = 0.15), which was significantly higher than the pre-intervention score of 204 points (𝑥̅ = 1.36, S.D. = 0.15), with significance at the .05 level.