A Review of Literature on the Efficacy of Aerobic Exercises on Stereotypic Behaviour for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneousneurobiological condition that features restricted, repetitive, andstereotypic behaviour, and impairments in social interaction and verbaland non-verbal communication. Autism is caused due to genetic andenvironmental factors. Autism is classified into five major types: Rett’sdisorder, Asperger’s disorder, autistic disorder, childhood disintegrativedisorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified.Stereotypic behaviour is involuntary; sensorial self-regulation activitiesare present in autistic children. Aerobic exercise (AE) is described as atype of exercise that elevates the heart rate and oxygen consumptionof the body. It has been seen to cause improvement in an ASD child’sphysical development, cognitive development, and body composition.Aim: This article aims to present a review of the relevant literature on theefficacy of aerobic exercises on stereotypic behaviour in ASD children.Methods: This review is based on the PRISMA guidelines. The databasesused for searching the articles were PubMed and Google Scholar.Inclusion criteria were taken care of while selecting the articles. Thearticles between the years 2011 and 2022 were selected.Results: In this review, ten studies were selected according to theinclusion criteria and all these studies showed the effectiveness ofaerobic exercise and a decrease in stereotypic behaviour in ASD children.Conclusion: This literature review analysed the efficacy of AE onstereotypic behaviour in ASD children. This study concluded that physicalactivity, which included aerobic exercise, reduced the stereotypicbehaviour of children affected by ASD. How to cite this article:Sonia DRL, Mohan P, Sedhunivas R, Kumar SS. AReview of Literature on the Efficacy of AerobicExercises on Stereotypic Behaviour for AutismSpectrum Disorder. Chettinad Health City MedJ. 2023;12(3):97-104. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/2278.2044.202358