American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance - AAHPERD

Issue: February 2012

Using Constraints to Design Developmentally Appropriate Movement Activities for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Michelle Pope, Casey M. Breslin, Nancy Getchell, & Ting Liu  

Abstract: Some of the characteristics and behaviors of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), such as difficulty with social interactions and sensory integration, make physical education instruction difficult. Children with ASD also encounter movement difficulties, such as motor-planning and anticipatory deficits. One way to enhance the ability of children with ASD to learn in a physical education setting is through the use of Newell's constraint model. According to this model, motor-skill development emerges from an interaction of three constraints: individual, environment, and task. This article discusses how physical educators can address the individual constraints in children with ASD by modifying environmental and task constraints.

Article category: Adapted Physical Education