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Ghadimi kalateh Z, Sheikh M, Qeysari S F, Hoomanian D, Bagherzadeh F. The Effect of Equine-Assisted Therapy and Play Therapy on Gross Perceptual-Motor Performance and Related Biomechanical Parameters in Adolescents with Autism. J Sport Biomech 2026; 12 (2) :224-241
URL: http://biomechanics.iauh.ac.ir/article-1-459-en.html

Objective Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by social communication difficulties and repetitive behaviors, often accompanied by motor skill impairments. This study aimed to examine the effects of equine-assisted therapy and play therapy on perceptual–motor performance and key biomechanical parameters in adolescents with ASD.
Methods This semi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest design with a control group. Thirty-six adolescents with ASD (25 boys, 11 girls), aged 10–14 years, were recruited through convenience sampling. Participants were matched based on age, gender, and disorder severity, then randomly assigned to one of three groups: equine-assisted therapy (n = 12), play therapy (n = 12), or control (n = 12). The interventions were delivered over eight weeks, consisting of five 30-minute sessions per week. The control group continued their routine center-based activities. Running speed and agility, balance, bilateral coordination, and strength were assessed one day before and one day after the intervention period using the Bruininks–Oseretsky Test. Data were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and Bonferroni post hoc tests.
Results Both equine-assisted therapy and play therapy produced significant improvements in overall perceptual-motor skills and all subtests (p < 0.005), whereas the control group showed no significant changes. ANCOVA revealed significant between-group differences, and Bonferroni post hoc analyses indicated that the control group scored lower than both intervention groups (p ≤ 0.005). Additionally, the equine-assisted therapy group outperformed the play therapy group in overall gross perceptual-motor scores and most subtests, although no significant difference was observed for bilateral coordination (p = 0.476).
Conclusion The findings indicate that active, movement-based interventions—particularly equine-assisted therapy—can substantially enhance perceptual-motor skills and related biomechanical parameters in adolescents with ASD. The integration of motor, balance, and muscle-activation stimuli within these interventions appears to play a central role in improving motor performance and body coordination.