Effect of yoga on the social responsiveness and problem behaviors of children with ASD in special schools: A randomized controlled trial

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder and is increasingly reported among school-age children in India. Many children with ASD attend special schools which extend support for learning basic functional and academic skills. Problem behaviors and lack of social responsiveness are frequently associated with children with ASD in a school environment. Many evidence-based studies have explored various interventions in mitigating the lack of social responsiveness and problem behaviors in children. Few studies have examined the impact of yoga on social responsiveness and problem behaviors in special schools. The objective of the study was to highlight the effect of school-based yoga on the social responsiveness and problem behaviors of children with ASD in special schools. Forty-three children with ASD from four special schools participated in the study. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) design was employed for the study. Children with ASD (n = 43) from four special schools were assessed by their teachers for social responsiveness and problem behaviors with the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2) and Aberrant Behavior Checklist-2 (ABC-2) at the baseline and after the yoga intervention. Structured yoga of 45 min for 12 weeks was conducted across four special schools with simple yoga practices conducive to children with ASD. Significant changes were observed post-intervention in the mean scores of the social communication aspect in social responsiveness (p = .021), irritability (p = .041), and social withdrawal (p = .047) aspects of problem behaviors.