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Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) generally have a delay in the development of motor skills when compared to typical children, however, to date, no study has investigated whether motor limitations can interfere in the participation of these children. The objectives of this study were: verify if the motor skills can explain the frequency, the percentage of number of activities, the involvement and the desire to change in participation at home, school and community of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and; identify if contextual factors would modify the association between motor skills and participation outcomes. The participation and the motor skills were evaluated in 30 children with ASD between 5 and 10 years old. Participation outcomes were measured by the Participation and Environment Measure--Children and Youth (PEM-CY) and the motor skills were assessed by the Timed Up and Go, Timed Up and Down Stairs, Test of Gross Motor Development--2nd edition and Pediatric Balance Scale. The results of the study demonstrated that the motor skills of the locomotion, objects control, change position and balance explained participation outcomes of children with ASD classified from mild to moderate, between 5 and 10 years old. Moreover, the sex variable modified the association between the motor skills and the school participation, with girls performing less activities at this setting.

Aim: To establish the scope of the literature on modified sports interventions for children and adolescents with disabilities. Method: For this scoping review, articles were screened and the characteristics of studies were extracted. The modified sports interventions were described in terms of their structure, using the items of the Template for Intervention Description and Replication. Components of intervention treatment were described by using the language of the Rehabilitation Treatment Specification System. Results were analysed and validated by a group of professionals, using the Public and Patient Involvement strategy. Results: Twelve studies were eligible for inclusion, investigating interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and other conditions. Most studies presented a moderate level of evidence. Active ingredients were repeated sports‐related motor training and introduction to the sport through a 'learning by action' mechanism. The intervention target was gross motor skills performance, and intervention aims (indirect outcomes) were physical activity participation and different body functions. Interpretation: The inclusion of stakeholders in this review helped to validate our findings about the characteristics and structure of modified sports interventions, to identify research gaps, and to provide a step process for clinical implementation. Future investigations are warranted of the effectiveness of modified sports investigations with better quality studies, including participation outcomes and studies with non‐ambulant children. What this paper adds: Modified sports interventions target sport‐related skills performance and aim to achieve physical activity participation and body functions.These interventions included group‐based, sports‐related motor skills training and introduction to sports in real‐world environments.They are offered mostly for ambulant children with autism spectrum disorder and cerebral palsy.Most studies of modified sports interventions presented moderate level of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with Cerebral palsy (CP) present movement and posture disorders. The Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), Communication Function Classification System (CFCS), Eating and Drinking Ability Classification System (EDACS), and Visual Function Classification System (VFCS) enhance the understanding of their performance. We verified inter-rater reliability and associations between the classification levels. Physical therapists classified 100 Brazilian children with CP (3–17 years) according to GMFCS, MACS, CFCS, EDACS, and VFCS. To evaluate inter-rater reliability (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient-ICC) two independent examiners concurrently assessed a subset of 60 participants. According to Spearman's correlation coefficients, there were associations between GMFCS/MACS (r = 0.81), GMFCS/CFCS (r = 0.70), MACS/CFCS (r = 0.73), GMFCS/VFCS (r = 0.61), MACS/VFCS (r = 0.61), CFCS/EDACS (r = 0.58), CFCS/VFCS (r = 0.50), and EDACS/VFCS (r = 0.45) (p <.05). The inter-rater reliability ranged from excellent (ICC = 0.93-0.99) to good (ICC = 0.89), p <.05. The classification systems are reliable, and the levels associated with each other in Brazilian children, especially the GMFCS, MACS, and CFCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Translate, investigate reliability, and construct validity of the Brazilian Early Activity Scale for Endurance (EASE). Translation followed the international guidelines. Test–retest reliability was tested by 100 parents of children with cerebral palsy (CP): 18 months–5 years and 6–11 years. To determine construct validity, 94 parents of typically children completed the EASE. Statistical analysis included Bland–Altman, Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), Internal Consistency, and Floor and Ceiling Effect. The majority of the sample consisted of children with CP in GMFCS (IV–V). EASE showed good test–retest reliability for younger (ICC = 0.8) and excellent test–retest reliability for older children with CP (ICC = 0.9), and good internal consistency of 0.7 and 0.8 for the young and older group, respectively. Bland–Altman showed the bias close to zero, with no ceiling or floor effect. Regarding construct validity, younger children showed lower scores when compared to the older children. Endurance differed significantly between children with CP who were walking and those who were not walking and also for age groups. Children with CP showed lower endurance compared to typically participants in the same age group. Brazilian EASE is reliable and valid to estimate endurance in children with CP. Results provide evidence of construct validity. Endurance to physical activity is an important construct to be evaluated and that directly interferes with the health and quality of life of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP). The Brazilian-Portuguese version of the 4-item Early Activity Scale for Endurance (EASE) is a valid and reliable scale to assess endurance to physical activity in children with CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is available in different videos on YouTube. However, these videos might present inaccurate or outdated information. The aims of this study were to 1) identify characteristics of Brazilian-Portuguese videos about ASD (i.e., type of content, number of views, likes, and dislikes); 2) analyze the content of informative videos about ASD, by assessing their trustworthiness and overall quality; and 3) investigate the most popular topics of informative videos about ASD over time. This is a cross-sectional study that investigated Brazilian-Portuguese ASD content on YouTube. Videos were selected by two examiners and categorized as experiential or informative. The Discern checklist and the Global Quality Score (GQS) were used to analyze the trustworthiness and quality of informative videos. In total, 216 videos were analyzed, of which 19.5% and 85% were classified as experiential and informative, respectively. The majority of informative videos presented moderate trustworthiness and quality. Videos about ASD clinical aspects were the most popular. YouTube offers a large number of experiential and informative videos on ASD. However, some of these videos fail to present reliable and additional sources of information for stakeholders. Efforts to promote knowledge translation about ASD on YouTube are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the effectiveness of sports-focused interventions on the participation of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP). Study searches were conducted on EMBASE, PubMed, Scielo, PEDro, CINAHL, SPORTDiscuss in June 2022. We included randomized controlled trials that investigated the effectiveness of sports-focused interventions in children and adolescents with CP in comparison with control. Risk of bias was assessed with PEDro scale and evidence certainty with GRADE approach. Data were pooled in random-effects meta-analyses and results were presented as standardized mean differences. Ten RCTs were selected with different modalities, mostly for ambulant children and adolescents. Significant pooled effects on participation in leisure-time physical activity were seen only in group interventions (modified sports, gross motor training, and fitness training), in comparison with control [SMD(95% CI) = 0.32(0.01–0.73) p = 0.04]. No pooled effects were seen in participation in other life areas in comparison with control (p > 0.05). Current certainty of evidence of all sports-focused interventions included was moderate due to imprecision. Positive results on leisure-time participation were seen at short-term follow-up for group interventions. Sports-focused interventions did not improve participation in other life areas, reinforcing the importance of specificity when conducting participation interventions. Studies investigating sports-focused interventions including non-ambulatory individuals are still necessary. Sports-focused interventions target leisure-time physical activity participation. They present moderate evidence of their effectiveness to improve physical activity participation in individuals with cerebral palsy. Group interventions are effective in improving leisure-time physical activity participation. Sports-focused interventions did not improve participation in other life areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To systematically review the effectiveness of physical therapy interventions in infants, children and adolescents with brachial plexus birth injury (BPBI). Systematic review of randomized controlled trials including patients under 18 years old with BPBI was conducted on Medline, Cochrane, Embase, Amed and Pedro databases. Methodological quality was assessed by the PEDro score and quality of evidence by the GRADE system. The primary outcomes measured were range of motion, muscle strength and bone mineral density. Seven studies were included, two in infant and 5 in children, of 932 title and abstracts screened. The interventions, characteristics of the participants and outcomes were diverse. The largest effect was found when other intervention was combined with conventional physical therapy in the primary outcomes, with low quality of evidence. Physical therapy interventions alone or in combination with other treatment modalities are effective in improving short-term disabilities in children with BPBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]