The feasibility of a family-based judo program for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study examined the feasibility of a 15-week family-based judo program for youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Nine children and their parents participated in the family class, and eight children participated in the child-only class. Judo sessions were held once a week for 45 minutes. Feasibility measures included attendance records, retention rates, program implementation fidelity, and participant acceptability. The family class had a significantly higher attendance rate (13.22 ± .44 classes) compared to the child-only class (9.9 ± 2.5 classes, p = 0.007), with 100% of the family class attending at least 80% of the sessions, compared to 38% of the child-only class (p = 0.005). Parents from both classes felt the program was a positive experience, however, parents in the family class emphasized social benefits while parents from the child-only class highlighted physical benefits. Future studies should examine the benefits of a family judo program on children and participating family members.