European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science ISSN: 2501 - 1235 ISSN-L: 2501 - 1235 Available on-line at: www.oapub.org/edu 10.5281/zenodo.154062 Volume 2│Issue 2│2016 THE RESEARCH OF THE EFFECT OF THE PILATES SPECIAL MOVEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM WHICH IS APPLIED TO AUTISM SPECTRUM STUDENTS ON STUDENT’S BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY PROPERTIES R. Nazım Saraçoğlu1, Ahmet Şirinkan2i 1.2 Recreation Department, Sport Science Faculty, Atatürk University, Turkey Abstract: The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of pilates movement training program which ıs applied to autism spectrum children on student’s flexibility and balance development. 26 students (12 male+6 female) participated to this research. The age of the students were formed as group of 6-12 aged, two groups have been created for research. 18 students were determined as experimental (12 male+6 female), 18 students were determined as a second control group (12 male+6 female), while creating group, it is paid attention to not to be similar in student’s age, gender, physical appearance. The research data’s were analysed by SPSS v16 program, the pre-test & post-test comparisons and minimum, maximum, values were tabulated. Even though according to research results there is not seen any development in control group, the significant development is seen in experimental group (p<0,05) and in balance development (p<0,001). As a result, it is observed that the pilates special movement training program which is applied to autism spectrum children’s provides a positive contribution to children’s physical properties, ability of flexibility and balance. Keywords: autism spectrum, pilates, flexibility, balance Introduction Autism can be defined as a defect which is defined with behavioural symptoms in connection with interest which affect the higher cortical functions and the lifelong socialization, language, communication and many other events. Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved Published by Open Access Publishing Group ©2015. 90 R. Nazım Saraçoğlu, Ahmet Şirinkan THE RESEARCH OF THE EFFECT OF THE PILATES SPECIAL MOVEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM WHICH IS APPLIED TO AUTISM SPECTRUM STUDENTS ON STUDENT’S BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY PROPERTIES Autism occurs as estimated in one in 150 children. It occurs 4 times more than boys in girls. The symptoms in autism children have been listed in three big subjects which are communication, behaviour and social interaction. Autism children’s other characteristics are repetitive activities, stereotypical uniform movements, showing reactions to environmental changes and daily routine and showing unusual reactions to sensory experiences. The physical education and sport programs for individuals with pervasive developmental disorder include the exercises which increase the strength of the development at all levels of cardiorespiratory. During the infancy and toddler, the planned wide variety activities are needed for improving the balance, simulating sensory motor system, improving and advancing the skills of basic locomotor and nonlocomotor which will prepare an active lifestyle. The most important characteristics of autism children are the lack of ability to speak, inability to use language and communication. These symptoms cause to children’s poor relations with environmental, individuals, peers and undevelopment in communication. Undevelopment speaking and language skills in childhood emerge slightly in adolescence. In this process, they can say one word (take, give, handle etc.) or short sentences (goodbye, welcome, throw the ball, etc.) Not being able to talk and communicate affect to children negatively in their social and emotional development. Their social communications improve slightly slower than peers. This obstructs to develop their social skills. In their skills negativity occurs because they cannot use their imagination when they play games and with toys. They cannot behave properly for the purposes of game and toys. Their peer’s emotions don’t make sense to them. Their own feelings can reflect meaninglessly to their behaviour. The motor development which is very important for normal children is also very important for autistic children and develops in normal course. This situation which shows normal development and appearance as a physical development can create difficulties in implementation phase. They can live difficulties and delay in making a suitable behaviour according to technical guidelines. Or insufficiency can take the attention. Accordingly, in the psychomotor skills program which is going to planned for children more emphasis should be given to basic motor skills (walk, run, jump, hold, throw, hit etc.), after that passed to motor skills (dribbling, skiing, playing tennis etc.) and sport skills (activities for port) training. European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2016 91 R. Nazım Saraçoğlu, Ahmet Şirinkan THE RESEARCH OF THE EFFECT OF THE PILATES SPECIAL MOVEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM WHICH IS APPLIED TO AUTISM SPECTRUM STUDENTS ON STUDENT’S BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY PROPERTIES Movement Training and Sport in Autistic People Evaluation of children’s strengths and weaknesses in a comprehensive manner in movement training and sport activities which is applied to autistic children and preparation of individual physical education and sport program according to evaluation provide a major contribution to health, wellbeing, lifelong quality sports experience, recreation participation and development of individual talent. In any case of autistic child’s stage, the participation to daily aerobic exercises is very important. Because, aerobic exercise decreases to provide a self-excitation and aimless behaviour, increases the time for academic and professional works and develop the hard motor performance. In physical education and sport program for children it is known that the pilates movement training programs have positive contribution. For special movement training programs related to pilates exercises which are prepared for his aim: 1. To find the every gym, field, equipment and materials for the implementation of the program. 2. To provide an alternative for the selection of material for study and to consider requests. 3. To make activities easier if having stress in activities. 4. To regard student’s interests. 5. To use the different colour, weight and size materials examples. 6. To do group activities besides individual activities. 7. To create special individual programs. 8. To give feedback frequently. 9. To provide canalizing negative behaviour to different directions. 10. To allow doing some activities individual. 11. To provide doing the behaviours with same exercises and regularly in warm-up. 12. To use visual material. 13. To do reminders about pre-workouts during the workouts. 14. Trying to communicate verbally with children. 15. To give attention to eye contact in activities. Methodology 26 students (12 male+6 female) participated to this research. The age of the students were formed as group of 6-12 aged, two groups have been created for research. 18 European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2016 92 R. Nazım Saraçoğlu, Ahmet Şirinkan THE RESEARCH OF THE EFFECT OF THE PILATES SPECIAL MOVEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM WHICH IS APPLIED TO AUTISM SPECTRUM STUDENTS ON STUDENT’S BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY PROPERTIES students were determined as experimental (12 male+6 female), 18 students were determined as a second control group (12 male+6 female), while creating group, it is paid attention to not to be similar in student’s age, gender, physical appearance. The permissions from education institutions, medical reports and parent’s permit have been taken for students exercising who participated to the research. Students participated to the research program twice a week with 50-75 minutes workouts. The balance and flexibility values have been taken with doing pre-tests from the students in control and experimental group before participating to the study. In research process, the sport science faculty students and the recreation department research assistants participated to the workouts as volunteer instructors. The pre-test and post-test measurements were taken in exercises laboratory of gym of sport science faculty. After the research, the comparison of groups have been analysed with program SSPS v16 and valued with doing the post-tests again to control and experimental group. The special movement training program which comprise with pilates materials was prepared for research. The materials which are used in research have been created with the kind of: 1. Pilates mats 2. Foam roll 3. Peanut shape ball (90 cmx145 cm) 4. Pilates ball (40cm, 50 cm, 60 cm) 5. Balance ball (8 cmx16 cm) 6. Weight ball (250 gr., 500 gr., 750 gr., 1000 gr.) 7. Circle (40cm, 50 cm, 60 cm) 8. Dumbbells (250 gr., 500 gr., 750 gr., 1000 gr.) 9. Resistanca bands 10. Pilates rollers 11. Pilates ball with resistance 12. Pilates mini balls 13. Pilates soft balls While preparing the special movement training program, the study program was created with taking views of the special education department lecturers and the lecturer of coaching education department of sport science faculty. European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2016 93 R. Nazım Saraçoğlu, Ahmet Şirinkan THE RESEARCH OF THE EFFECT OF THE PILATES SPECIAL MOVEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM WHICH IS APPLIED TO AUTISM SPECTRUM STUDENTS ON STUDENT’S BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY PROPERTIES Table 2: The Pilates special movement training program for students who participated to the training Weeks Basic Special movements movements Gains Used materials General Educational Muscles and Pilates mats, Foam roll, Week 1. warming, games joints of the Resistanca bands, Pilates (2 exercises) opening and body to be rollers stretching ready to exercise General Educational Muscles and Peanut shape ball (90 Week 2. warming, games with ball joints of the cmx145 cm), Pilates ball (2 exercises) opening and body to be (40cm, 50 cm, 60 cm), stretching ready to use Pilates mini balls, Pilates materials soft balls General Educational Muscles and Balance ball (8 cmx16 cm), Week 3. warming, games with ball joints of the Weight ball (250 gr., 500 (2exercises) opening and and weights body to be gr., 750 gr., 1000 gr.) stretching ready to use materials General Educational Muscles and Circle (40cm, 50 cm, 60 Week 4. warming, games with joints of the cm), Dumbbells (250 gr., (2exercises) opening and different sport body to be 500 gr., 750 gr., 1000 gr.), stretching materials ready to use Circle (40cm, 50 cm, 60 different cm), Dumbbells (250 gr., materials 500 gr., 750 gr., 1000 gr.) General Educational Ability to do Pilates mats, Foam roll, Week 5. warming, games made on ground Resistanca bands, Pilates (2 exercises) opening and gym mat exercises rollers, Resistanca bands, individual and Pilates rollers stretching pairs General Educational Ability to do Pilates ball with Week 6. warming, games made ground resistance, Pilates mini (2 exercises) opening and with weight exercises with balls, Pilates soft balls stretching balls on the gym weight balls mat individual and pairs General Educational Ability to do Pilates mats, Foam roll, Week 7. warming, games related to flexibility and Resistanca bands, Pilates (2 exercises) opening and sport branches balance rollers and various sport European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2016 94 R. Nazım Saraçoğlu, Ahmet Şirinkan THE RESEARCH OF THE EFFECT OF THE PILATES SPECIAL MOVEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM WHICH IS APPLIED TO AUTISM SPECTRUM STUDENTS ON STUDENT’S BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY PROPERTIES stretching exercises balls individual and pairs General Competition Ability to do Penanut shape ball (90 Week 8. warming, with educational ground cmx145 cm), Pilates ball (2 exercises) opening and games made on exercises with (40cm, 50 cm, 60 cm), stretching gym mat racing Pilates mini balls, Pilates individual and soft balls and various pairs sport balls General Educational Ability to do Balance ball (8 cmx16 cm), warming, games related to flexibility and Weight ball (250 gr., 500 Week 9. opening and sport branches balance gr., 750 gr., 1000 gr.) and (2 exercises) stretching exercises various sport balls individual and pairs General Educational Ability to do Circle (40cm, 50 cm, 60 warming, games related to flexibility and cm , Dambıl Week 10. opening and sport branches balance gr., 750 gr., 1000 gr.), (2 exercises) stretching exercises Circle (40cm, 50 cm, 60 individual and cm), Dumbbells (250 gr., pairs 500 gr., 750 gr., 1000 gr.) gr., and various sport balls General Competition Ability to do Pilates mats, Foam roll, Week 11. warming, with educational ground Resistanca bands, Pilates (2 exercises) opening and games made on exercises with rollers, Resistanca bands, stretching gym mat racing Pilates rollers and various individual and sport balls pairs General Shows with Ability to do Pilates ball with warming, educational shows with resistance, Pilates mini Week 12. opening and games made on ground balls, Pilates soft balls and (2 exercises) stretching gym mat exercises various sport balls individual and pairs Note: The special prepared pilates movement training program have been applied with taking from the research of Şırınkan, Ahmet. Investıgatıon Of The Effect Of The Pılates Movement Educatıon Program On Development Of Flexıbılıty And Balance Of The Chıldren At Specıal Educatıon And Rehabılıtatıon Center. European Journal of Physical Education and European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2016 95 R. Nazım Saraçoğlu, Ahmet Şirinkan THE RESEARCH OF THE EFFECT OF THE PILATES SPECIAL MOVEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM WHICH IS APPLIED TO AUTISM SPECTRUM STUDENTS ON STUDENT’S BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY PROPERTIES Sport Science, [S.l.], sep. 2016. ISSN 2501 2428. Available at: http://oapub.org/edu/index.php/ejep/article/view/225 Findings Table 1: The age, gender, height, weight status of children who participated to the training program Groups Status M % Age deney grubu 6-8 aged 4 22,2 Age kontrol grubu 6-8 aged 6 33,3 Age deney grubu 9-12 aged 14 77,8 Age kontrol grubu 9-12 aged 12 66,7 Gender deney grubu Male 12 66,7 Gender kontrol grubu Male 12 66,7 Gender deney grubu Female 6 33,3 Gender kontrol grubu Female 6 33,3 Height deney grubu 100-110 cm 4 22,2 Height kontrol grubu 100-110 cm 3 10,6 Height deney grubu 111-120cm 8 44,5 Height kontrol grubu 111-120cm 9 50 Height deney grubu 121-140cm 6 33,3 Height kontrol grubu 121-140cm 6 33,3 Height deney grubu 141cm and above 2 10,1 Height kontrol grubu 141cm and above 2 10,1 Weight deney grubu 35-45 kg 4 22,2 Weight kontrol grubu 35-45 kg 4 22,2 Weight deney grubu 46-55 kg 8 44,5 Weight kontrol grubu 46-55 kg 8 44,5 Weight deney grubu 56 kg and above 6 33,3 Weight kontrol grubu 56 kg and above 6 33,3 Analysis The research data has been analysed by SPSS v16.0 software. Pre-test, post-test comparisons, minimum, maximum and z values were tabulated. European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2016 96 R. Nazım Saraçoğlu, Ahmet Şirinkan THE RESEARCH OF THE EFFECT OF THE PILATES SPECIAL MOVEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM WHICH IS APPLIED TO AUTISM SPECTRUM STUDENTS ON STUDENT’S BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY PROPERTIES Table 3: The results of pre-tests and post-tests of control and experimental group who participated to the research Tester Flexibility test in experimental group Flexibility test in control group Flamingo balance test in experimental group Flamingo balance test in control group Pre-post tests n Min. Max. z Pre-test 18 4,05 Post-test 18 7,45 Pre-test 18 3,25 Post-test 18 4,00 Pre-test 18 12 25 ,000 Post-test 18 18 52 Pre-test 18 10 22 ,279 Post-test 18 11 24 9,12 ,000 18,05 7,60 ,543 ,45 Conclusion and Evaluation According to research results, it is achieved that even though any kind of development have been seen in control group, a significant development have been seen in flexibility development of experimental group (p<0,001) and also in balance development (p<0,001). Nowadays individuals with the autism spectrum are being left behind about motor function is noticed by researchers and educators (Todd and Reid, 2006). Although every individual show differences, generally the strain in requiring balance and coordination movements and the weakness in overall muscle strength are seen (Kurtz, 2008) It is expressed that there is widespread lack of motivation in participation physical activities. Students who have this situation participation to exercise about school, opportunities to benefit from physical activity in free time and their level are less than peers who have typical development (Pan et al, 2011). In research of Atalay and Karadağ , it is stated that the sport activities contribute to the strengthening of the autistic children’s muscles and development of balance and hand-eye coordination. In the studies of Bruininks and Chvat (1990), they have expressed that the sport activities are both implement and purpose. Autistic people have honour, confidence and live the emotion of success with integrating into society with sport activities. The basic motor skills usually develop with applying regular and continuous program (Fernhall, 1993). In two or three months programs which are applied for European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2016 97 R. Nazım Saraçoğlu, Ahmet Şirinkan THE RESEARCH OF THE EFFECT OF THE PILATES SPECIAL MOVEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM WHICH IS APPLIED TO AUTISM SPECTRUM STUDENTS ON STUDENT’S BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY PROPERTIES autistic people the development of autistic people’s physical properties are observed but also this development in the long-term program will be more permanent. One of the most important ways of canalizing positively their energy is sport events for autistic people. The routing of individual’s energy with sport activities to positive group activities means sport therapy. It is known that sport is a implement to support human muscle and nervous system, mental and physical reactions and body’s physiological and metabolic development. It is clear that in this direction, the sport and physical activities have kind of rehabilitation property (Beasley, 1982). As a result, in general all of the research’s it is achieved that the sport activities which have been applied to autism spectrum children about movement training, exercise programs and free-time activities contribute positively to their motoric features and skills. Also in our research, it is observed that the pilates special movement training program which is applied to autism spectrum children contribute positively to children’s flexibility and balance skills in their physical features. References 1. Atalay, A., Karadağ, A. . Importance of Sports Therapy in Patients with Autism Rehabilitation Process Journal Selcuk of University Sports Sciences, s.227-232, Konya. 2. Beasley, C., R., (1982). Effect of a Jogging Program on Cardiovascular Fitness and Working Performance on Mentally Disabled Adults. American Journal of Mental Deficiency. 3. Bruininks, R., H., (1990). The Motor Proficiency of Persons with Mental Retardation. 1.nd. ed. Belgium. Book of Movement Proceeding of The 2 nd International Symposium. 4. Fazlıoğlu, Y. Eşme-Yurdakul, M. (2005). Autism. Use of Visual Communication Techniques in Autism. Morpa Publications, İstanbul. 5. Fernhall, B., (1993). Physical Fitness and Exercise Training of Individuals With Mental Retardation. Medicine Sports and Exercise. 6. Kurtz, L., A., (2008). Understanding Motor Skills in Children With Dyspraxia, ADHD, Autism, and Other Learning Disabilities: A Guide to Improving Coordination. London, N.,J.:Jessica Kingsley. 7. Özer, D. S. (2010). Disabled for Physical Education and Sport. Nobel Yayınc Distribution, Ankara. European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 2 │ Issue 2 │ 2016 98 R. Nazım Saraçoğlu, Ahmet Şirinkan THE RESEARCH OF THE EFFECT OF THE PILATES SPECIAL MOVEMENT TRAINING PROGRAM WHICH IS APPLIED TO AUTISM SPECTRUM STUDENTS ON STUDENT’S BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY PROPERTIES 8. Pan, C., Y., Tsai, C., L., Chu, C., H., and Hsieh, K., W., (2011). Physical Activity and Self Determined Motivation Sale of Adolescents With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorders in Inclusive Physical Education. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 9. Robertson, T. Long, T. (2008). Foundation of Therapeutic Recreation. Human Kinetic, Thomson-Shore, Inc. Printed in The States of America. 10. Şirinkan, A. . Investıgatıon Of The Effect Of The Pılates Movement Educatıon Program On Development Of Flexıbılıty And Balance Of The Chıldren At Specıal Educatıon And Rehabılıtatıon Center. Internatıonal Conference for Physical, Life and Health Sciences, Vienna, Austria, 17-21 April 2016. 11. Todd, T., Reid, G., (2006). Increasing Physical Activity in Individuals With Autism. Focus on Autism and Other Development Disorders, 21, 167-176. 12. Winnick, J. P. (2011). Adapted Physical Education and Sport. Human Kinetic, Printed in The States of America. 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