Bertilsson I1,2, Gyllensten AL1, Opheim A3, Gard G1, Sjödahl Hammarlund C1
1Lund University, Department of Health Sciences, Lund, Sweden, 2Habilitation & Health, Habilitation, Skövde, Sweden, 3Habilitation & Health, Gothenburgh, Sweden
Background: There are but a few studies of how people with autism perceive and experience their bodies and movements from a first-hand account. They may have difficulties in verbalizing these experiences. In addition, difficulties in perceiving the surrounding world along with disturbed motor coordination and executive functions may affect physical and psychological development. Exploring possibilities to capture the experiences of body and movements with physiotherapeutic assessments is therefore important in order to design appropriate interventions.
Purpose: The purpose was to explore the experiences of body and movements in young adults with autism from a first-hand account, and how two physiotherapeutic instruments may capture these experiences.
Methods: Eleven young adults (16-22 years) with autism were interviewed and assessed using Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT2) and Body Awareness Scale Movement Quality and Experience (BAS MQ-E). Following a mixed-methods design, the interviews were deductively analyzed and conceptually integrated to the results of the two assessments.
Results: Development of a bodily self-consciousness is hindered in persons with autism. A key finding was that an inactive movement center led to coordination and breathing difficulties. Experiencing conflicting feelings about their bodies/movements, led to low understanding of themselves. Positive experiences and better movement quality related to having access to more functional daily strategies. The combined assessments captured these experiences relatively well, presenting both movement quality and quantity.
Conclusion(s): Combining motor proficiency and body awareness assessments was optimal to understand the participants' experiences. The assessments gave good information about the experiences, i.e. describing the experiences of the participants. Future work needs to investigate the validity of the body awareness instrument and also to investigate the effects of body awareness interventions to persons with autism.
Implications: To capture body and movement functions in persons with autism in this standardized manner is a way to describe body and movements for a group that may have difficulties verbalizing their experiences. In the physiotherapeutic clinic this will lead to improved and reliable diagnoses and administering tailored interventions. For the persons with autism this may lead to increased body awareness and activity, and enhanced quality of life.
Keywords: autism, body image, movement
Funding acknowledgements:
Habilitering & Hälsa, Västra Götalandsregionen, Sweden
Skaraborgsinstitutet, Skövde, Sweden
Gösta Svenssons minne, Skövde, Sweden
Renne Eander Fund, Fysioterapeuterna, Sweden
Purpose: The purpose was to explore the experiences of body and movements in young adults with autism from a first-hand account, and how two physiotherapeutic instruments may capture these experiences.
Methods: Eleven young adults (16-22 years) with autism were interviewed and assessed using Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT2) and Body Awareness Scale Movement Quality and Experience (BAS MQ-E). Following a mixed-methods design, the interviews were deductively analyzed and conceptually integrated to the results of the two assessments.
Results: Development of a bodily self-consciousness is hindered in persons with autism. A key finding was that an inactive movement center led to coordination and breathing difficulties. Experiencing conflicting feelings about their bodies/movements, led to low understanding of themselves. Positive experiences and better movement quality related to having access to more functional daily strategies. The combined assessments captured these experiences relatively well, presenting both movement quality and quantity.
Conclusion(s): Combining motor proficiency and body awareness assessments was optimal to understand the participants' experiences. The assessments gave good information about the experiences, i.e. describing the experiences of the participants. Future work needs to investigate the validity of the body awareness instrument and also to investigate the effects of body awareness interventions to persons with autism.
Implications: To capture body and movement functions in persons with autism in this standardized manner is a way to describe body and movements for a group that may have difficulties verbalizing their experiences. In the physiotherapeutic clinic this will lead to improved and reliable diagnoses and administering tailored interventions. For the persons with autism this may lead to increased body awareness and activity, and enhanced quality of life.
Keywords: autism, body image, movement
Funding acknowledgements:
Habilitering & Hälsa, Västra Götalandsregionen, Sweden
Skaraborgsinstitutet, Skövde, Sweden
Gösta Svenssons minne, Skövde, Sweden
Renne Eander Fund, Fysioterapeuterna, Sweden
Topic: Mental health
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: The Regional ethical review board in Gothenburg
Ethics committee: The Regional ethical review board in Gothenburg
Ethics number: Dnr 346-14
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
