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Occupational therapists use school-based yoga programs, but these interventions typically lack manualization and evidence from well-designed studies. Using an experimental pretest-posttest control group design, we examined the effectiveness of the Get Ready to Learn (GRTL) classroom yoga program among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The intervention group received the manualized yoga program daily for 16 wk, and the control group engaged in their standard morning routine. We assessed challenging behaviors with standardized measures and behavior coding before and after intervention. We completed a between-groups analysis of variance to assess differences in gain scores on the dependent variables. Students in the GRTL program showed significant decreases (p < .05) in teacher ratings of maladaptive behavior, as measured with the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, compared with the control participants. This study demonstrates that use of daily classroomwide yoga interventions has a significant impact on key classroom behaviors among children with ASD.
KEY WORDS
* autistic disorder
* child behavior
* education, special
* program evaluation
* yoga
The number of people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has increased dramatically. Using data from a population-based multisite surveillance network, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised the ASD prevalence estimates from 1 in 150 children to 1 in 110 children (CDC, 2009). These data indicate a 600% increase over the past 2 decades and a 57% increase over the past 4 years of data collected by the CDC (Dawson, 2010). The most recent figure released by the CDC is that 1 in 88 children are now diagnosed with ASD (CDC, 2012), a prevalence that has implications for occupational therapy practitioners in all practice settings.
The need for scientifically based educational interventions, whenever practical, is outlined in the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, the reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act of 1997. Myriad interventions, many unproven, are used with children with disabilities, including children with ASD. Often, multiple interventions are used, making it exceedingly difficult to assess the efficacy of a new intervention used in a classroom.
Children with ASD present unique challenges to the classroom teacher. The child's inability to regulate his or her own behavior is often most problematic. At very high or low levels of stress or emotional...