Game-based and individualized movement training improves physiological and motor outcomes in young adults with autism spectrum disorder: an experimental study from Türkiye

Background: This study aims to examine the effects of game-based and individualized movement training (GBIMT) program on physiological (body weight, body fat percentage, BMI) and motor outcomes (balance, reaction time, motor speed) in young adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: An experimental design with pre-test–post-test control groups was used in the study. A total of 20 participants (10 in the experimental group, 10 in the control group) with a mean age of 22.2 ± 4.8 years were monitored for eight weeks. The experimental group participated in GBIMT sessions for 60 min per day, two days per week, while the control group continued their usual educational routines. Body composition (InBody 270 Body Composition Analyzer, model Plus 270, South Korea), balance (TechnoGym, Cesena, Italy), reaction time (BlazePod Ltd., Israel), and motor speed (Computerized Tapping Test, Neurosoft Inc., USA) parameters were used as measurements. Results: Repeated measures ANOVA results indicated a significant reduction in body weight in terms of the experimental group (p = 0.014, η² = 0.289). Large effect sizes were observed for body fat percentage and BMI; however, the group × time interactions were not found to be statistically significant. A significant improvement was observed in the motor speed parameter within the experimental group (p = 0.032, η² = 0.231). Reaction time decreased by 9.8%, although the group × time interaction stayed within the significance limit (p = 0.063). A trend toward improvement was observed in balance parameters; however, no statistically significant difference was found. Conclusion: The findings indicate that GBIMT produced significant improvements in body composition and motor speed after implementing for eight weeks, and also showed a strong tendency to affect reaction time. As a controlled experimental study conducted in Türkiye, this research offers a unique contribution to the literature by demonstrating the effects of game-based and individualized movement programs on both physiological and motor outcomes in individuals with ASD. Trial registration: GameBased and Individualized Movement Training Improves Physiological and Motor Outcomes in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder An Experimental Study From Türkiye, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07170891, Date 20,062,025.