This study emerged as the Final Project for the Master’s in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) by our student Nina Muckel. We hope you like it!
Autism Spectrum Disorder and Surfing
It has been an enriching experience that gave me the opportunity to delve into topics of great interest to me, such as surfing activity and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The desire to investigate how physical activity, specifically adapted surfing, influences young people with ASD arises from participation in “Més que Surf”. This association is dedicated to teaching social, emotional, and autonomy skills to children with ASD through physical activity. With the support of my tutor Aritz Aranbarri, and after studying physical activity and the additional difficulties associated with ASD, I began to wonder about the relationship between different variables, such as “surfing” physical activity and its effects on anxiety and sleep quality in program participants.
How I Conducted my Master’s Final Project on People with ASD?
Initially, I conducted a literature review on Autism, Sleep, Anxiety, Heart Rate, Physical Activity, and their interaction, to subsequently propose the objectives and design of the study. For this, individual variables of the participants were taken into account, and it was carried out in three phases:
- A first phase to establish baseline measures, that is, to know the initial states of the participants.
- A second phase, which takes place as continuous monitoring during the eight weeks of the program;
- Finally, the third phase in which post-program measures were taken after the program ended, and an extensive analysis of the obtained information was carried out.
Different measurement instruments were used in the study, such as interviews, questionnaires, specific measurement of heart rate and sleep patterns using sports smartwatches, in addition to qualitative data from the children’s parents.
Objectives of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Study
Anxiety and poorer sleep quality are some of the most frequent difficulties associated with ASD. Based on the benefits that physical activity provides on these variables in the general population, the study aimed to explore the effect of participation in a therapeutic surfing program on sleep quality and anxiety in young people with ASD. Specifically, the objectives included monitoring the sleep quality, anxiety, and heart rate (using smart bracelets) of the 45 participants before, during, and after the adapted surfing sessions.
Assessment and Conclusions of the Master’s Final Project
With the interest in observing the possible changes made after participating in “Més que Surf” and making a first approach to the study questions, the initial questionnaires were re-administered, and the analysis and interpretation of the total data were carried out using quantitative techniques, specifically the statistical program Stata, version 15.1 (StataCorp, College Station, TX, 2016). The results indicate a reduction in anxiety levels in some subgroups. On the other hand, heart rate recording showed fluctuations throughout the measurement period, and further study of its meaning is needed in future research. Regarding sleep quality, it shows a global tendency to improve after physical activity, as reported by the participants’ parents.
The results of this preliminary study suggest that regular participation in an adapted surfing program can have positive effects on anxiety and sleep quality in some subjects with ASD and encourages further research into the effects of physical activity on problems associated with ASD and the well-being of children.
During the development of this study, I went through a journey in which I have grown both personally and professionally, and I have gained knowledge that would not have been possible without the support and effort of the people around me. I am very grateful for your support.
Thesis on the Effects of “Adapted Surfing” Activity
If you want to read Nina Muckel‘s full Master’s Final Project, you can download it from the ISEP Thesis Corner.