The Efficacy of Treadmill Walking Program on Gait and Body Mass Index of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Randomized Controlled Study

BACKGROUND: Children with autism usually have abnormal walking patterns and are at increased risk of being overweight induced by their sedentary lifestyle. Treadmill training has been explored as an intervention to improve gait and support weight management. PURPOSE: This study evaluated the effects of a treadmill walking program on gait and body mass index (BMI) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: Thirty (five to nine years old) children diagnosed with ASD according to the DSM-V-Text Revised and the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to a control group (CG), who received conventional physical therapy three times per week for 1 hour, or a treadmill-walking group (TWG), who received the same therapy plus 15 min of treadmill training. BMI, z-scores and gait parameters were measured before and after intervention using the WHO 2007 growth reference and Kinovea motion analysis software, respectively. RESULTS: Both groups showed a small reduction in the percentile BMI, with no significant differences between groups. There was a significant increase in the left hip and both ankle angular displacements in the study group, with no significant differences between the groups for the rest of gait parameters. CONCLUSION: Treadmill training may be effective in reducing percentile BMI and lower limb mobility in children with ASD. These findings support its use for combined weight management and motor improvement. But the findings indicated the need for future research with larger samples and longer follow-up to clarify its clinical significance. TRAIL REGISTRATION: Identifier (PACTR202207804171810).