The Effects of Sensory Integration Therapy on Physical and Motor Activity of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Shiraz

Introduction: Autism is one of the developmental disorders of the central nervous system followed by several sensory motor problems. The present study aims to investigate the effect of sensory integration therapy on the physical and motor activities of children with autism. Methods: This descriptive study was carried out with 20 students selected in the first, second and third grades aiming to diagnose autism disorder in the academic year 2017 in Shiraz. Data collection was performed using the “physical activity of Iranian students” questionnaire in the form of teacher and parent observation record registration at three levels (daily activity, organization and motor ability). The level of motor skills was determined using the gross motor development test (basic, equilibrium, and kinetic skills) prepared by Khalaji and Khajavi (motor development professors). The presented study employed sensory integration approaches by modulating individual and group treatments in these children (sensory diet and creating the sensory atmosphere) in 12 sessions for 60 minutes. The results of the pre- test and post-test data were analyzed through performance analysis based on non-parametric data via Wilcoxon test (p≤0.05). Results: Our finding showed that there is a significant difference between the viewpoints of parents and teachers regarding the level of activities before and after intervention (p<0.05). So, sensory coherence increases the level of daily activities of children with autism disorder. Moreover, there is a significant difference between the viewpoints of parents and teachers regarding motor skills before and after intervention (p