Effects of martial arts programs based on autistic traits in children and adolescents: a systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: Over the years, there has been an increase in the prevalence of Autism. It has been shown that martial arts are an effective intervention in controlling the symptoms of children and adolescents. However, there needs to be reviews that focus on synthesizing this evidence. Objective: Synthesize the current information on the effects and characteristics of carrying out martial arts programs and their effects on autistic traits in children and adolescents. Methodology: Systematic review that adheres to the Prisma 2020 declaration. The search was carried out in the Scielo, PubMed, Pedro, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, Springer Link, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect databases, and randomized and non-randomized clinical trials were selected. Results: Martial arts as a therapeutic intervention had statistically significant beneficial effects on stereotyped behavior 100% (5 of 5 studies), social interaction 100% (3 of 3 studies), emotion management 100% (3 of 3 studies), regulation of behavior 75% (3 of 4 studies), behavioral problems 75% (3 of 4 studies) and difficulty communicating 75% (3 of 4 studies). The most widely used martial art as a therapeutic intervention program was karate. Conclusion: The most evaluated areas in autistic treats are stereotyped behaviors, behavioral problems, social interaction, and communication difficulties. Finally, it was observed that the martial arts programs had favorable effects on ASD symptoms in behavioral, social, and communication skills.