The feasibility and acceptability of AllPlay Dance for autistic children: A pilot randomised controlled trial

Few studies have explored the potential for community dance programs to act as a feasible and acceptable avenue for improving the physical, social, and mental health outcomes of autistic children. This randomised waitlist-controlled pilot trial examined the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of the classical/contemporary AllPlay Dance program for autistic children. Twenty-seven autistic children aged 7–12 were randomised to either the intervention group or waitlist control group. Primary outcomes were the acceptability and feasibility of the program, as measured by general study metrics (e.g., enrolment rate, drop out, session attendance) and the participants’ subjective ratings of their experiences (e.g., enjoyment, willingness to do more sessions/recommend the program, etc.). Secondary outcomes included changes in children’s motor proficiency, quality of life, and social, emotional and behavioural functioning. The AllPlay Dance program was feasible to conduct and acceptable to young autistic dancers, their parents, and the elite dancers/buddies whose role was to support their participation. There were also promising trends towards improvement in aspects of motor functioning (i.e., aiming and catching). Overall, the findings support the need to conduct a full-scale randomised-controlled trial to confirm the potential gains that this inclusive and creative community-based activity can offer autistic children. • Intervention in everyday community settings may improve the developmental outcomes of autistic children. • Community dance programs are one such scalable, affordable intervention of interest. • Only two studies have examined the benefits of community dance programs for autistic children. • We trialled the inclusive classical/contemporary AllPlay Dance program for autistic children. • The AllPlay Dance program was seen as feasible and acceptable by autistic families.