Can a Treadmill Walking Program Increase Exercise Capacity and Reduce Weight for Adolescents with Autism?
In this study, the authors wished to compare the relative benefits of a systematic program of instruction designed to teach regular walking on a treadmill as compared to a control group receiving 30 minutes of “leisure activity” three times per week. The participants in the study included 10 adolescents/young adults (6 males and 4 females) receiving comprehensive services at a residential school located in the Midwest. All individuals had an existing diagnosis of autism with varying levels of cognitive involvement. All had “histories of lengthy and restrictive placement resulting from their severe maladaptive behaviors” (p. 1006) and had no medical contraindications to their participation in this study. Individuals were assigned to either the control (no additional intervention) or the “treadmill-walking group.” For the treadmill group, the exercise protocol consisted of an initial frequency of sessions on the treadmill two days per week, which was increased by one day per week every t
