Beneficios del ejercicio físico terapéutico en niños y adolescentes con trastorno del espectro autista

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders that begin in childhood and last a lifetime (1). The experts have agreed to use behavioral criteria to diagnose ASD, which must be present and have been manifested since early childhood (2, 3). We can establish three levels of severity depending on the help that the person needs (3). The therapeutic exercise is the execution of bodily, postural movements and physical activities in order to optimize the general state of health, the physical conditioning or the feeling of well-being (4). Before starting any treatment we must identify the risk factors that may appear and in some cases the doctor's approval is necessary before starting the treatment (4). Objectives: to carry out a systematic review on the possible benefits of therapeutic physical exercise in autistic spectrum disorders. Material and method: a search was made in PubMed and PEDro databases of articles published in the last 15 years. Synthesis and analysis of results: 4 articles that meet the inclusion criteria were analyzed to objectify the benefits of exercise and physical activity in the lives of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Discussion: in the 4 articles included in the study, improvements were observed in stereotyped behaviors, communication skills and social interaction, as well as improvements in cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health (5-8). Although we found problems such as the small samples of all the studies and the variability of the interventions carried out. Conclusion: the application of exercise and physical activity as an instrument for the treatment of children with ASD is an idea to be considered by all professionals involved in the treatment of these children, including physiotherapists.