Gymnastic elements as a means of physical education for children aged 7-8 with autism spectrum disorders

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study is to improve coordination in children aged 7-8 with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Materials and methods: The pedagogical experiment was conducted on the premises of the school of Olympic reserve No 1 (Kirov) from September 2017 to April 2018. The study involved 3 children aged 7-8 with autism spectrum disorders studying in the 1st grade of the special school No 13 (Kirov). All children belonged to different groups of autism, one child did not speak. Methods: theoretical analysis and review of the scientific and methodological literature; pedagogical testing; summative and formative assessment; methods of mathematical statistics. Results: In the test called 'Stork' the mean value improved by 3 scores or 30%. The mean value in tests 'Jump', 'Lanterns' and 'Movement memory' improved by 4.33 scores or 43.3%. Results are significant for all 4 tests at the end of the experiment (P 0.05). Conclusion: The results obtained allow us to suppose that gymnastic elements are the most effective for the development of coordination in children aged 7-8 with autism spectrum disorders and contribute to the improvement of movement experience in children.