Factors Predicting Continued Bicycle Riding Success in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Background:  With the rise in sedentary behavior in youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) as they age (MacDonald, Esposito, & Ulrich, In press; Pan & Frey, 2006; Sandt, 2005), it is becoming increasingly important to provide opportunities to increase physical activity. Until recently few physical activity intervention studies have been conducted for youth with ASD. The intention of these interventions is to provide positive psychosocial benefits and physiological health benefits (MacDonald, Esposito, & Hauck et al. 2011). What is currently unknown are the factors that predict continued physical activity participation following these interventions.

Objectives:  Bicycle riding provides youth with ASD increased social opportunities, independent travel and age appropriate physical activity. Despite these advantages, few youth with ASD ever obtain the skill of independent bicycle riding (Ulrich et al., 2011; Hauck et al., in review). Furthermore of those who learn, few retain the skill overtime. Our objective is to understand the factors predicting continued bicycle riding three months following a bicycle training intervention.

Methods: A one-week bicycle training intervention was provided for youth with ASD aged 9-18 years.  Following this intervention, we surveyed 49 families to determine whether their child maintained independent bicycle riding skills three months post intervention.

Results:  Logistic regression was used to create a model to predict factors that influence continued riding success in children with ASD. We determined that parental interest in physical activity, paternal age, ASD severity, time on task and sedentary physical activity were predictive of bicycle riding status at three months following the intervention. This statistical model predicted riding ability at three months post intervention with 85.7% accuracy.

Conclusions: Continued riding throughout adolescence provides youth with the opportunity to gain social and physiological benefits associated with increased physical activity. Physically active lifestyles are something that we strive for as we age and participating in lifetime physical activities are an important part of obtaining this goal (Hauck et al. in review). Understanding these predictors will enable researchers to increase their focus on these factors during interventions to increase success over time.