1 331 130 APPLICATION OF INTEGRATED YOGA THERAPY TO INCREASE IMITATION SKILLS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. BACKGROUND/AIM: CHILDREN WITH AUTISM EXHIBIT SIGNIFICANT DEFICITS IN IMITATION SKILLS, WHICH IMPEDE THE ACQUISITION OF MORE COMPLEX BEHAVIOR AND SOCIALIZATION. IMITATION IS OFTEN TARGETED EARLY IN INTERVENTION PLANS AND CONTINUES TO BE ADDRESSED THROUGHOUT THE CHILD'S TREATMENT. THE USE OF INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY (IAYT) AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) IS RARELY REPORTED AND LITTLE IS KNOWN ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUCH THERAPIES. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED IAYT AS A TREATMENT METHOD WITH CHILDREN WITH ASD TO INCREASE IMITATIVE SKILLS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PARENTS AND SIX CHILDREN WITH ASD PARTICIPATED IN A 10-MONTH PROGRAM OF 5-WEEKLY SESSIONS AND REGULAR PRACTICE AT HOME. PRE, MID AND POST TREATMENT ASSESSMENTS INCLUDED OBSERVERS AND PARENT RATINGS OF CHILDREN'S IMITATION SKILLS IN TASKS RELATED TO IMITATION SKILLS SUCH AS GROSS MOTOR ACTIONS, VOCALIZATION, COMPLEX IMITATION, ORAL FACIAL MOVEMENTS AND IMITATING BREATHING EXERCISES. RESULTS: IMPROVEMENT IN CHILDREN'S IMITATION SKILLS ESPECIALLY POINTING TO BODY, POSTURAL AND ORAL FACIAL MOVEMENTS. PARENTS REPORTED CHANGE IN THE PLAY PATTERN OF THESE CHILDREN WITH TOYS, PEERS AND OBJECTS AT HOME. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY INDICATES THAT IAYT MAY OFFER BENEFITS AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL TO INCREASE IMITATION, COGNITIVE SKILLS AND SOCIAL-COMMUNICATIVE BEHAVIORS IN CHILDREN WITH ASD. IN ADDITION, CHILDREN EXHIBITED INCREASED SKILLS IN EYE CONTACT, SITTING TOLERANCE, NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION AND RECEPTIVE SKILLS TO VERBAL COMMANDS RELATED TO SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP. 2010 2 562 32 CREATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION IMPROVES MOTOR AND IMITATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. BACKGROUND: THERE IS GROWING EVIDENCE FOR MOTOR IMPAIRMENTS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD), INCLUDING POOR GROSS AND FINE MOTOR PERFORMANCE, POOR BALANCE, AND INCOORDINATION. HOWEVER, THERE IS LIMITED EVIDENCE ON THE EFFECTS OF MOTOR INTERVENTIONS FOR THIS POPULATION. OBJECTIVE: IN THE PRESENT STUDY, THE EFFECTS OF A PHYSICAL THERAPY INTERVENTION USING CREATIVE YOGA ON THE MOTOR AND IMITATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH ASD WERE EVALUATED. DESIGN: THIS STUDY HAD A PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP DESIGN. METHODS: TWENTY-FOUR CHILDREN WITH ASD AGED BETWEEN 5 AND 13 YEARS RECEIVED 8 WEEKS OF A PHYSICAL THERAPIST-DELIVERED YOGA OR ACADEMIC INTERVENTION. CHILDREN WERE TESTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION USING A STANDARDIZED MOTOR MEASURE, THE BRUININKS-OSERETSKY TEST OF MOTOR PERFORMANCE-2ND EDITION (BOT-2). THE IMITATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN USING FAMILIAR TRAINING-SPECIFIC ACTIONS (IE, POSES FOR THE YOGA GROUP AND BUILDING ACTIONS FOR THE ACADEMIC GROUP) WERE ALSO ASSESSED. RESULTS: AFTER THE INTERVENTION, CHILDREN IN THE YOGA GROUP IMPROVED GROSS MOTOR PERFORMANCE ON THE BOT-2 AND DISPLAYED FEWER IMITATION/PRAXIS ERRORS WHEN COPYING TRAINING-SPECIFIC YOGA POSES. IN CONTRAST, CHILDREN IN THE ACADEMIC GROUP IMPROVED THEIR FINE MOTOR PERFORMANCE ON THE BOT-2 AND PERFORMED FEWER IMITATION ERRORS WHILE COMPLETING THE TRAINING-SPECIFIC BUILDING ACTIONS. LIMITATIONS: THE STUDY LIMITATIONS INCLUDE SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AND LACK OF LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP. CONCLUSIONS: OVERALL, CREATIVE INTERVENTIONS, SUCH AS YOGA, ARE PROMISING TOOLS FOR ENHANCING THE MOTOR AND IMITATION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH ASD. 2019 3 2519 36 YOGA COMPLEMENTED COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY ON JOB BURNOUT AMONG TEACHERS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS. BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: JOB BURNOUT IS A SYNDROME OF REACTION TO CHRONIC JOB-RELATED STRESS WHICH AFFECTS OVERALL HEALTH, LIMITS OCCUPATIONAL EFFICACY, AND PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF EMPLOYEES THEREBY THWARTING ORGANIZATIONAL OUTCOMES. BURNOUT SYMPTOMS ARE COMMON AMONG TEACHERS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS (ASD) AND AFFECT THE ACADEMIC PROGRESS OF THE CHILDREN. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA-BASED COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (Y-CBT) IN REDUCING OCCUPATIONAL BURNOUT AMONG TEACHERS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM IN LAGOS STATES, NIGERIA. METHODS: A GROUP-RANDOMIZED CONTROL-TRIAL WITH IMMEDIATE INTERVENTION AND WAITLIST CONTROL GROUPS WAS DESIGN WAS ADOPTED. PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED 58 TEACHERS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SPECIAL SCHOOLS IN THE AREA. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO Y-CBT (N = 29) AND WAITLIST CONTROL (N = 29) GROUPS. THE Y-CBT GROUP PARTICIPATED IN A 2 HOURS Y-CBT PROGRAM WEEKLY FOR 12 WEEKS. THREE INSTRUMENTS DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLE, SINGLE ITEM STRESS QUESTIONNAIRE (SISQ), AND MASLACH BURNOUT INVENTORY-EDUCATORS' SURVEY (MBI-ES) WERE USED TO COLLECT DATA. DATA WERE COLLECTED AT BASELINE; POST-TEST AND FOLLOW-UP EVALUATIONS. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING MEANS, STANDARD DEVIATIONS, T TEST STATISTICS, REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE, AND BAR CHARTS. RESULTS: RESULTS REVEALED THAT JOB-BURNOUT REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY AT POST-TEST ASSESSMENT AMONG THE Y-CBT GROUP COMPARED TO THE WAITLISTED GROUP. THE REDUCTION IN THE PARTICIPANT WAS SUSTAINED ACROSS 3MONTHS FOLLOW-UP EVALUATION. CONCLUSION: IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT Y-CBT MODALITIES COULD HELP TO REDUCE THE BURNOUT SYMPTOMS AMONG TEACHERS OF CHILDREN WITH ASD. 2021 4 1572 31 MANAGING JOB STRESS AMONG TEACHERS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY WITH YOGA. BACKGROUND: JOB-RELATED STRESS UNDERMINES OCCUPATIONAL, PERSONAL, AND ORGANIZATIONAL OUTCOMES. STRESS SYMPTOMS ARE COMMON AMONG TEACHERS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS AND AFFECT THE ACADEMIC PROGRESS OF THE CHILDREN. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA-BASED COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY IN REDUCING OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AMONG TEACHERS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM IN LAGOS STATES, NIGERIA. METHODS: THE CURRENT STUDY ADOPTED A GROUP-RANDOMIZED WAITLIST CONTROL (WLC) TRIAL DESIGN WITH PRE-TEST, POSTTEST, AND FOLLOW-UP ASSESSMENTS. PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED 58 TEACHERS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SPECIAL SCHOOLS IN LAGOS STATE. PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO COMBINED COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY AND YOGA (Y-CBT) (N = 29) AND WLC (N = 29) GROUPS. THE Y-CBT GROUP PARTICIPATED IN A 2 HOURS Y-CBT PROGRAM WEEKLY FOR 12 WEEKS. THREE INSTRUMENTS - DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONNAIRE, SINGLE-ITEM STRESS QUESTIONNAIRE, AND TEACHERS' STRESS INVENTORY (TSI) WERE USED TO COLLECT DATA. DATA WERE COLLECTED AT BASELINE; POSTTEST AND FOLLOW-UP EVALUATIONS. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING MEANS, STANDARD DEVIATIONS, T TEST STATISTICS, REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE, AND BAR CHARTS. RESULTS: RESULTS REVEALED THAT ALL DIMENSIONS OF JOB STRESS (PERCEPTION OF STRESS SOURCES, STRESS MANIFESTATION, AND TOTAL TSI SCORES) REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY AT POSTTEST AND FOLLOW UP ASSESSMENTS AMONG THE Y-CBT GROUP, COMPARED TO THE WLC. CONCLUSION: IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT Y-CBT MODALITIES COULD HELP TO MINIMIZE THE PERCEPTION OF STRESS SOURCES AND STRESS MANIFESTATION AS WELL AS TOTAL TSI SCORES AMONG TEACHERS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS. 2021 5 853 30 EFFECT OF YOGA ON THE MOTOR PROFICIENCY OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER AND THE FEASIBILITY OF ITS INCLUSION IN SPECIAL SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS. YOGA AS A MOVEMENT-BASED INTERVENTION IS INCREASINGLY CONSIDERED TO IMPROVE THE MOTOR SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD). HOWEVER, THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE OF THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON THEIR MOTOR SKILLS. THE CURRENT STUDY AIMS TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF GROUP YOGA PROGRAM ON MOTOR PROFICIENCY OF CHILDREN WITH ASD AND FEASIBILITY OF ITS INCLUSION IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS. FORTY-THREE CHILDREN WITH ASD FROM FOUR SPECIAL SCHOOLS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO YOGA (N = 23) AND CONTROL (N = 20) GROUP. A STRUCTURED YOGA PROGRAM OF 45 MIN FOR 12 WEEKS WAS DELIVERED BY TRAINED YOGA TEACHERS WHO ALSO TRACKED THEIR DAILY RESPONSES. THE BRUININKS-OSERETSKY TEST OF MOTOR PROFICIENCY. SECOND EDITION WAS USED TO ASSESS BOTH THE GROUPS PRE- AND POSTINTERVENTION. IN CONCLUSION, THE STUDY HIGHLIGHTED THAT YOGA APPEARS TO HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE GROSS MOTOR RATHER THAN FINE MOTOR PROFICIENCY OF CHILDREN WITH ASD AND IS FEASIBLE TO BE DELIVERED AS GROUP INTERVENTION IN SPECIAL SCHOOLS. 2022 6 1126 43 EFFICACY OF STRUCTURED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR SLEEP, GASTROINTESTINAL AND BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS OF ASD CHILDREN: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY. INTRODUCTION: AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) IS A NEURO DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER WHICH APPEARS AT EARLY CHILDHOOD AGE BETWEEN 18 AND 36 MONTHS. APART FROM BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS ASD CHILDREN ALSO SUFFER FROM SLEEP AND GASTROINTESTINAL (GI) PROBLEMS. MAJOR BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS OF ASD CHILDREN ARE LACK OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION AND INTERACTION, LESS ATTENTION SPAN, REPETITIVE AND RESTRICTIVE BEHAVIOUR, LACK OF EYE TO EYE CONTACT, AGGRESSIVE AND SELF-INJURIOUS BEHAVIOURS, SENSORY INTEGRATION PROBLEMS, MOTOR PROBLEMS, DEFICIENCY IN ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES, ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION ETC. OUR HYPOTHESIS IS THAT STRUCTURED YOGA INTERVENTION WILL BRINGS SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE PROBLEMS OF ASD CHILDREN. AIM: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO FIND OUT EFFICACY OF STRUCTURED YOGA INTERVENTION FOR SLEEP PROBLEMS, GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS AND BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS OF ASD CHILDREN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IT WAS AN EXPLORATORY STUDY WITH PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST CONTROL DESIGN. THREE SETS OF QUESTIONNAIRES HAVING 61 QUESTIONS DEVELOPED BY RESEARCHERS WERE USED TO COLLECT DATA PRE AND POST YOGA INTERVENTION. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE BASED ON THREE PROBLEMATIC AREAS OF ASD CHILDREN AS MENTIONED ABOVE AND WERE ADMINISTERED TO PARENTS BY TEACHERS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF RESEARCHER AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS. EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS GIVEN YOGA INTERVENTION FOR A PERIOD OF 90 DAYS AND CONTROL GROUP CONTINUED WITH SCHOOL CURRICULUM. RESULTS: BOTH CHILDREN AND PARENTS PARTICIPATED IN THIS INTERVENTION. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE SEEN POST YOGA INTERVENTION IN THREE AREAS OF PROBLEMS AS MENTIONED ABOVE. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ALSO SHOWED SIGNIFICANCE VALUE OF 0.001 IN THE RESULT. CONCLUSION: STRUCTURED YOGA INTERVENTION CAN BE CONDUCTED FOR A LARGE GROUP OF ASD CHILDREN WITH PARENT'S INVOLVEMENT. YOGA CAN BE USED AS ALTERNATIVE THERAPY TO REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF SYMPTOMS OF ASD CHILDREN. 2017 7 1127 29 EFFICACY OF THE GET READY TO LEARN YOGA PROGRAM AMONG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS: A PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP DESIGN. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS USE SCHOOL-BASED YOGA PROGRAMS, BUT THESE INTERVENTIONS TYPICALLY LACK MANUALIZATION AND EVIDENCE FROM WELL-DESIGNED STUDIES. USING AN EXPERIMENTAL PRETEST-POSTTEST CONTROL GROUP DESIGN, WE EXAMINED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE GET READY TO LEARN (GRTL) CLASSROOM YOGA PROGRAM AMONG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS (ASD). THE INTERVENTION GROUP RECEIVED THE MANUALIZED YOGA PROGRAM DAILY FOR 16 WK, AND THE CONTROL GROUP ENGAGED IN THEIR STANDARD MORNING ROUTINE. WE ASSESSED CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS WITH STANDARDIZED MEASURES AND BEHAVIOR CODING BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION. WE COMPLETED A BETWEEN-GROUPS ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE TO ASSESS DIFFERENCES IN GAIN SCORES ON THE DEPENDENT VARIABLES. STUDENTS IN THE GRTL PROGRAM SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES (P < .05) IN TEACHER RATINGS OF MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR, AS MEASURED WITH THE ABERRANT BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST, COMPARED WITH THE CONTROL PARTICIPANTS. THIS STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT USE OF DAILY CLASSROOMWIDE YOGA INTERVENTIONS HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON KEY CLASSROOM BEHAVIORS AMONG CHILDREN WITH ASD. 2012 8 952 36 EFFECTS OF A CREATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION ON THE JOINT ATTENTION AND SOCIAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS, AS WELL AS AFFECTIVE STATES OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS GAINING POPULARITY AS A MULTISYSTEM INTERVENTION DUE TO ITS IMPACT ON BOTH THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN WITH TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER, THERE IS LIMITED EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE USE OF THIS APPROACH IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD). THE CURRENT PILOT STUDY EVALUATED THE IMPACT OF A CREATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION ON THE JOINT ATTENTION, SOCIAL COMMUNICATION, AND AFFECTIVE STATES OF CHILDREN WITH ASD. METHODS: 24 SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN WITH ASD RECEIVED EIGHT WEEKS OF YOGA (E.G., BREATHING, POSES, RELAXATION) OR TABLETOP PLAY/ACADEMIC INTERVENTION (E.G., READING, ARTS-CRAFTS, BUILDING ACTIVITIES). CHILDREN WERE TESTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION USING A STANDARDIZED MEASURE OF RESPONSIVE JOINT ATTENTION. ADDITIONALLY, CHANGES IN SOCIALLY DIRECTED VERBAL COMMUNICATION AND AFFECTIVE STATES OF CHILDREN WERE ASSESSED THREE TIMES DURING THE INTERVENTION PERIOD, I.E. DURING EARLY, MID, AND LATE INTERVENTION SESSIONS. RESULTS: CHILDREN WITH ASD SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN RESPONSIVE JOINT ATTENTION IN BOTH GROUPS IN THE POSTTEST VS. THE PRETEST. FURTHERMORE, CHILDREN IN THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN SOCIALLY DIRECTED VERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS ACROSS THE INTERVENTION SESSIONS, I.E. GREATER SPONTANEOUS AND RESPONSIVE COMMUNICATION FROM EARLY/MID TO LATE INTERVENTION SESSIONS COMPARED TO THE ACADEMIC GROUP. THERE WERE NO CHANGES IN AFFECTIVE STATES WITH THE INTERVENTION, HOWEVER, THE YOGA GROUP SHOWED GREATER INTERESTED AND LESS NEGATIVE AFFECT COMPARED TO THE ACADEMIC GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: CREATIVE YOGA INTERVENTION IS A PROMISING TOOL THAT LED TO IMPROVEMENTS IN INTERVENTION-RELATED SOCIAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND GENERALIZED JOINT ATTENTION SKILLS OF CHILDREN WITH ASD. 2021 9 2784 25 YOGA THERAPY AS AN ADJUNCT TO TRADITIONAL TOOTH BRUSHING TRAINING METHODS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. AIM: TO EVALUATE IF YOGA COULD BE AN ADJUNCT TO REGULAR TRAINING METHODS IN TRAINING BRUSHING SKILL TO CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD). METHODS: SEVENTY-TWO CHILDREN WITH ASD AGED 7-15 YEARS WERE SELECTED AND DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS (N = 36). CHILDREN IN GROUP I RECEIVED VISUAL PEDAGOGY AND VIDEO MODELING AND CHILDREN IN GROUP II RECEIVED VISUAL PEDAGOGY AND VIDEO MODELING WITH YOGA. PLAQUE AND GINGIVAL INDICES (PI AND GI) WERE RECORDED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, AND SIXTH MONTH. THE SCORES WERE SUMMARIZED AS MEAN AND STANDARD DEVIATION AND INTER-GROUP COMPARISON WAS DONE USING INDEPENDENT T-TEST. RESULTS: INTER-GROUP COMPARISON OF MEAN PLAQUE AND GINGIVAL INDICES SCORES WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT AT SECOND MONTH (P = .039 FOR PI AND P = .009 FOR GI). THE SCORES WERE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT EVEN AT THIRD MONTH (P = .001 FOR PI AND P = .002 FOR GI) AND SIXTH MONTH (P = .001 PI AND GI), WITH CHILDREN IN GROUP II DEMONSTRATING BETTER ORAL HYGIENE. CONCLUSION: YOGA TRAINING CAN BE USED AS AN ADJUNCT TO ENHANCE TOOTH BRUSHING LEARNING CAPABILITIES OF CHILDREN WITH ASD IN ADDITION TO VISUAL MODELING AND PEDAGOGY. 2019 10 1474 27 INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS. A SPECIALLY DESIGNED INTEGRATED APPROACH TO YOGA THERAPY MODULE WAS APPLIED TO AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS OVER A PERIOD OF TWO ACADEMIC YEARS. DESPITE LOW NUMBERS (SIX IN EACH ARM), CONSISTENCY AND MAGNITUDE OF EFFECTS MAKE THE FINDINGS SIGNIFICANT. PARENTAL PARTICIPATION, ALLOWING FIRM GUIDANCE TO BE GIVEN TO EACH CHILD, RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN IMITATION AND OTHER SKILLS, AND IN BEHAVIOR AT HOME AND FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT GUIDED IMITATION OF THERAPIST BODY POSITIONS STIMULATED MIRROR NEURON ACTIVATION, RESULTING IN IMPROVED SENSE OF SELF. 2010 11 1979 34 SLEEP DISORDER, GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS AND BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS SEEN IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER CHILDREN AND YOGA AS THERAPY: A DESCRIPTIVE REVIEW. AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) IS A COMPLEX NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER WITH DEFICIENCIES IN MANY DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES DURING THE INFANTILE CHILDHOOD. RECENT RESEARCHES HAVE SHOWN THAT APART FROM BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS, THE ASD CHILDREN ALSO SUFFER FROM PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS DISTURBED SLEEP AND GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS THAT COULD BE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THEIR DAYTIME BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS. LOTS OF PARENTS HAVE EXPRESSED THAT, LACK OF SLEEP AMONG THE CHILDREN HAVE RESULTED IN HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS AMONG THE FAMILY MEMBERS PARTICULARLY AMONG THE IMMEDIATE CARETAKERS WHICH ARE IN MOST CASES THE MOTHER OF THE CHILD. EARLY BEHAVIOUR INTERVENTION IS A NORM FOR ASD CHILDREN WHICH MAINLY AFFECT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL LEVEL. THROUGH THIS PAPER, AN EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO STUDY THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY YOGA IN ORDER TO MITIGATE SUCH PROBLEMS. YOGA IS A NON-INVASIVE AND ALTERNATIVE THERAPY THAT BRINGS CHANGE IN BOTH PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL LEVEL OF AN INDIVIDUAL. HIGH LEVELS OF STRESS AMONG THE CARETAKERS OF THESE CHILDREN COULD MAKE THEM SUSCEPTIBLE TO NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES SUCH AS HYPERTENSION, DIABETES, ARTHRITIS ETC. PARENTAL BASED YOGA INTERVENTION CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVE FOR BOTH CHILDREN AND PARENTS AND SUBSEQUENTLY TO THE ENTIRE FAMILY. 2016 12 797 35 EFFECT OF YOGA INTERVENTION ON SHORT-TERM HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. BACKGROUND: AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) IS A NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER CHARACTERIZED BY IMPAIRMENT IN SOCIAL INTERACTIONS, COMMUNICATION, RESTRICTED, AND REPETITIVE BEHAVIORS. EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR ASD ARE LIMITED. YOGA IS PRACTICED BY OVER 20 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE, AND MULTIPLE STUDIES HAVE INVESTIGATED YOGA AS A POSSIBLE EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN WITH ASD. AIM: THE AIM OF THIS STUDY IS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA INTERVENTION ON SHORT-TERM HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) IN CHILDREN WITH ASD. METHODOLOGY: IN THIS STUDY, 50 CHILDREN (38 BOYS AND 12 GIRLS) WITH ASD WERE RECRUITED FROM SWABHIMAAN TRUST, PALAVAKKAM, CHENNAI. THEY WERE RANDOMLY GROUPED INTO ASD WITH YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP (N = 25) AND ASD WITHOUT YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP (N = 25) BY SIMPLE LOTTERY METHOD. YOGA GROUP CHILDREN UNDERWENT YOGA TRAINING FOR 3 MONTHS, AND THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT RECEIVE ANY SUCH TRAINING. FOR SHORT-TERM HRV, 15 MIN ELECTROCARDIOGRAM RECORDING IN SITTING POSTURE WAS RECORDED IN LEAD II USING A SIMPLE ANALOG AMPLIFIER. RESULTS: IN HRV, TIME DOMAIN PARAMETERS SUCH AS MEAN RR INTERVAL (0.72 [0.74] TO 0.94 [0.92]), STANDARD DEVIATION OF THE NN INTERVALS (52.04 [54.23] TO 74.48 [72.80]), AND ROOT OF THE MEAN SQUARED DIFFERENCES OF SUCCESSIVE NN INTERVAL (32.60 [34.40] TO 40.83 [42.90]) SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED IN ASD CHILDREN AFTER YOGA INTERVENTION. IN FREQUENCY-DOMAIN PARAMETERS, HIGH FREQUENCY (HF) IN N. U (48.08 [47.24] TO 58.37 [59.22]) SHOWS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE AND LOW FREQUENCY (LF) IN N. U (52.4 [51.82] TO 40.51 [40.12]), AND LF/HF RATIO (1.29 [1.31] TO 0.78 [0.79]) SHOWS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN ASD WITH YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP CHILDREN AFTER 3 MONTHS OF YOGA TRAINING. CONCLUSION: YOGA INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN BRINGING PARASYMPATHETIC DOMINANCE IN ASD CHILDREN, AND THE GREATER ADVANTAGE IS BEING A NONINVASIVE WAY OF INTERVENTION TO SUPPORT CHILDREN WITH ASD AND HELP THEM TO ACHIEVE PHYSIOLOGICAL AS WELL AS PSYCHOLOGICAL BALANCE. 2019 13 1893 35 RELAXATION RESPONSE-BASED YOGA IMPROVES FUNCTIONING IN YOUNG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM: A PILOT STUDY. OBJECTIVES: THE STUDY OBJECTIVES WERE TO DEVELOP AND OBJECTIVELY ASSESS THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF A NOVEL MOVEMENT-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE APPROACH FOR CHILDREN WITH AN AUTISM-SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD). DESIGN: A WITHIN-SUBJECT ANALYSIS COMPARING PRE- TO POST-TREATMENT SCORES ON TWO STANDARD MEASURES OF CHILDHOOD BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS WAS USED. SETTINGS AND LOCATION: THE INTERVENTION AND DATA ANALYSIS OCCURRED AT A TERTIARY CARE, MEDICAL SCHOOL TEACHING HOSPITAL. SUBJECTS: TWENTY-FOUR (24) CHILDREN AGED 3-16 YEARS WITH A DIAGNOSIS OF AN ASD COMPRISED THE STUDY GROUP. INTERVENTION: THE EFFICACY OF AN 8-WEEK MULTIMODAL YOGA, DANCE, AND MUSIC THERAPY PROGRAM BASED ON THE RELAXATION RESPONSE (RR) WAS DEVELOPED AND EXAMINED. OUTCOME MEASURES: THE STUDY OUTCOME WAS MEASURED USING THE BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT SYSTEM FOR CHILDREN, SECOND EDITION (BASC-2) AND THE ABERRANT BEHAVIORAL CHECKLIST (ABC). RESULTS: ROBUST CHANGES WERE FOUND ON THE BASC-2, PRIMARILY FOR 5-12-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN. UNEXPECTEDLY, THE POST-TREATMENT SCORES ON THE ATYPICALITY SCALE OF THE BASC-2, WHICH MEASURES SOME OF THE CORE FEATURES OF AUTISM, CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: A MOVEMENT-BASED, MODIFIED RR PROGRAM, INVOLVING YOGA AND DANCE, SHOWED EFFICACY IN TREATING BEHAVIORAL AND SOME CORE FEATURES OF AUTISM, PARTICULARLY FOR LATENCY-AGE CHILDREN. 2011 14 934 25 EFFECTIVENESS OF YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM ON THE SEVERITY OF AUTISM. THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM (YTP) ON THE SEVERITY OF AUTISM IN CHILDREN WITH HIGH FUNCTION AUTISM (HFA). TWENTY-NINE CHILDREN AGED 7 TO 15 (MEAN = 11.22, SD = 2.91) YEARS WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO EITHER YOGA OR CONTROL GROUP. THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP RECEIVED AN 8-WEEK (24-SESSION) YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM (YTP). PARENTS OR CAREGIVERS OF PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AUTISM TREATMENT EVALUATION CHECKLIST (ATEC) AT BASELINE AND THE END OF THE INTERVENTION. THE RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS WITH REGARDS TO ALL ATEC SUB-SCORES EXCEPT ATEC I (SPEECH/LANGUAGE/COMMUNICATION). THIS STUDY PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM AND IDENTIFIES SPECIFIC PROCEDURAL ENHANCEMENTS TO REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF SYMPTOMS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM. 2017 15 1009 36 EFFECTS OF MULTIMODAL MANDALA YOGA ON SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS FOR YOUTH WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY. CONTEXT: YOUTH WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) DEMONSTRATES IMPAIRMENT IN THE ABILITY TO SOCIALLY AND EMOTIONALLY RELATE TO OTHERS THAT CAN LIMIT PARTICIPATION IN GROUPS, INTERACTION WITH PEERS, AND BUILDING SUCCESSFUL LIFE RELATIONSHIPS. AIMS: THE AIM OF THIS EXPLORATORY STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF A NOVEL MULTIMODAL MANDALA YOGA PROGRAM ON SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS FOR YOUTH WITH ASD. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: FIVE MALES WITH ASD ATTENDED 1 H YOGA SESSIONS, TWICE A WEEK FOR 4 WEEKS. MULTIMODAL MANDALA YOGA COMPRISED 26 CIRCULAR PARTNER/GROUP POSES, COLOR AND TRACING SHEETS, RHYTHMIC CHANTING, YOGA CARDS, AND GAMES. TREATMENT AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR ASD SOCIAL SKILLS ASSESSMENT (TSSA) SCORES WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE EIGHT YOGA SESSIONS. THE MODIFIED FACIAL MOOD SCALE (MFMS) WAS USED TO OBSERVE MOOD CHANGES BEFORE AND AFTER EACH YOGA CLASS. PAIRED SAMPLE T-TESTS WERE CONDUCTED ON TSSA AND MFMS SCORES TO COMPARE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DIFFERENCES POST THE 4-WEEK CAMP. NARRATIVE FIELD NOTES WERE DOCUMENTED AFTER EACH OF THE EIGHT YOGA SESSIONS. RESULTS: A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT FROM PRE- TO POST-TEST WAS FOUND IN OVERALL TSSA (T(4) = -5.744, P = 0.005) AND ON RESPONDENT TO INITIATION (T(4) = -3.726, P = 0.020), INITIATING INTERACTION (T(4) = -8.5, P = 0.039), AND AFFECTIVE UNDERSTANDING AND PERSPECTIVE TAKING SUBSCALES (T(4) = -5.171 P = 0.007). YOUTH'S MFMS SCORES INCREASED FROM 80% TO 100% AT THE END OF EIGHT YOGA SESSIONS DEMONSTRATING A PLEASANT OR POSITIVE MOOD. THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE NARRATIVE NOTES IDENTIFIED THREE KEY FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE YOGA EXPERIENCE: (A) ENHANCED MOOD AND EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION, (B) INCREASED EMPATHY TOWARD OTHERS, AND (C) IMPROVED TEAMWORK SKILLS. CONCLUSION: THIS MULTIMODAL MANDALA YOGA TRAINING HAS IMPLICATION FOR DEVELOPING POSITIVE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS FOR YOUTH WITH ASD. 2018 16 1908 43 REVIEW: YOGA AND MINDFULNESS FOR YOUTH WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: REVIEW OF THE CURRENT EVIDENCE. BACKGROUND: YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED PROGRAMS ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR AS A SUPPLEMENTAL INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS (ASD). INCREASING NUMBERS OF CHILDREN, PARENTS, AND SCHOOLS ARE PARTICIPATING IN PROGRAMS AROUND THE COUNTRY WITH AN ENTHUSIASM THAT FAR EXCEEDS THE RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR THEIR EFFICACY. THERAPIES THAT ARE SAFE BUT NOT EFFECTIVE MAY NOT CAUSE IMMEDIATE HARM. NEVERTHELESS, THE MISAPPROPRIATION OF LIMITED TIME AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES MAY RESULT IN MISSED OPPORTUNITIES. THE NEED FOR CLEARLY DEFINED, EVIDENCE-BASED THERAPIES FOR YOUTH WITH ASD IS ESSENTIAL. METHOD: ELECTRONIC DATABASES WERE SEARCHED FOR PEER-REVIEWED INTERVENTION RESEARCH STUDIES USING THE KEY WORDS AUTISTIC OR AUTISM IN COMBINATION WITH YOGA, MINDFULNESS, OR MEDITATION. EIGHT STUDIES MET INCLUSION CRITERIA. RESULTS: THE FINDINGS ARE DESCRIBED IN THIS CRITICAL REVIEW OF EIGHT EMPIRICAL RESEARCH STUDIES THAT IMPLEMENTED YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN WITH ASD. ALTHOUGH FEW STUDIES REPORTED IMPROVEMENTS IN CORE SYMPTOMS OF ASD, PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS ARE FEASIBLE AND MAY IMPROVE A VARIETY OF PROSOCIAL BEHAVIORS, INCLUDING COMMUNICATION AND IMITATIVE BEHAVIORS; INCREASED TOLERANCE OF SITTING AND OF ADULT PROXIMITY; SELF-CONTROL; QUALITY OF LIFE; AND SOCIAL RESPONSIVENESS, SOCIAL COMMUNICATION, SOCIAL COGNITION, PREOCCUPATIONS, AND SOCIAL MOTIVATION. REDUCTIONS IN AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS, IRRITABILITY, LETHARGY, SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL, AND NONCOMPLIANCE WERE ALSO REPORTED. CONCLUSIONS: BASED ON THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE, THE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE EFFICACY OF YOGA AND MINDFULNESS-BASED INTERVENTIONS FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH ASD IS INCONCLUSIVE. THE CURRENT BODY OF RESEARCH HAS SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS, INCLUDING SMALL SAMPLE SIZES, NO FIDELITY MEASURES, AND NO CONTROL GROUPS. EACH OF THE EIGHT STUDIES, HOWEVER, REPORTED SOME POSITIVE EFFECTS ON SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, OR BEHAVIORAL METRICS. THESE EARLY RESULTS ARE PROMISING AND SUFFICIENT TO WARRANT SUPPORT FOR FURTHER RESEARCH. 2019 17 1010 25 EFFECTS OF MULTISENSORY YOGA ON BEHAVIOR IN A MALE CHILD WITH APERT AND ASPERGER SYNDROME. THIS CASE FOCUSED ON A 7-YEAR-OLD BOY WITH APERT AND ASPERGER'S SYNDROME WHO ATTENDED 8, 45 MIN MULTISENSORY YOGA SESSIONS, TWICE A WEEK, DURING 4-WEEK CAMP. RESULTS FROM THE PRE- AND POST-TESTS ON TREATMENT AND RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR AUTISM SOCIAL SKILLS ASSESSMENT SHOWED IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TOTAL SCORE CHANGES FROM 19 TO 7 FOR DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIORS. SPARKS TARGET BEHAVIOR CHECKLIST SCORES CHANGED FROM EIGHT TO ONE SHOWING PROGRESSION IN ABILITY TO STAY ON TASK. YOGA POSE RATING SCALE DISPLAYED THE TRANSFORMATION IN TOTAL SCORES FROM 80 = EMERGING TO 115 = CONSISTENCY IN POSE PERFORMANCE. THE FIELD NOTES REVEALED THE POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN EXPRESSIVE EMOTIONS, SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT, AND DECLINE IN LOOKING AROUND. OUTSIDE CLASS PARENT AND SCHOOL BEHAVIORAL SPECIALIST REPORTED THE IMPROVED ABILITY TO SELF-REGULATE STRESS USING LION'S BREATH AND SUPER BRAIN. THESE FINDINGS INDICATE AN IMPROVEMENT IN BEHAVIORS THAT INFLUENCED THE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE, EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION, AND SOCIAL INTERACTION AFTER YOGA TRAINING FOR THIS CHILD. 2016 18 946 31 EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEKS YOGA INTERVENTION ON MOTOR AND COGNITIVE ABILITIES OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN. SINCE EARLY CHILDHOOD IS REGARDED AS AN IMPORTANT PERIOD OF MOTOR AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT, UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON MOTOR ABILITES AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN HAS MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES THE EFFECTS OF A 12 WEEKS' YOGA INTERVENTION PROGRAM ON MOTOR AND COGNITIVE ABILITIES IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN. PRESCHOOL CHILDREN (N = 45; AGE 5-6 YEARS) ATTENDING REGULAR PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS WERE NON-RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO YOGA INTERVENTION (N = 23; 30 MIN SESSIONS THREE TIMES PER WEEK) OR A CONTROL GROUP (N = 22; NO ADDITIONAL ORGANIZED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM). EXERCISE TRAINING FOR THE INTERVENTION GROUP INCLUDED YOGA PROGRAM. MOTOR ABILITIES (BOT-2 SUBTESTS: FINE MOTOR INTEGRATION, MANUAL DEXTERITY, BALANCE AND BILATERAL COORDINATION), AND COGNITIVE ABILITIES (SCHOOL MATURITY TEST SUBTESTS: VISUAL MEMORY, STACKING CUBES AND CODES) WERE ASSESSED BEFORE AND AFTER THE INTERVENTION PERIOD IN BOTH GROUPS. DATA WERE ANALYZED USING REPEATED-MEASURES ANOVA. PARTICIPANTS IN THE INTERVENTION GROUP IMPROVED FINE MOTOR INTEGRATION (P = 0.022), FINE MOTOR SKILLS IN GENERAL (0.029), BILATERAL COORDINATION (0.000), BALANCE (0.000), AND BODY COORDINATION (0.000). PRESCHOOL CHILDREN'S PARTICIPATION IN THE PRESCHOOL YOGA INTERVENTION SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED THEIR MOTOR ABILITIES, BUT NOT THEIR COGNITIVE ABILITIES. 2021 19 1164 40 EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA-BASED PROGRAM INTEGRATED WITH THIRD-WAVE COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY COMPONENTS ON SELF-REGULATION IN CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM: A PILOT RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. LAY ABSTRACT: CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM MAY EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTIES WITH THE REGULATION OF ATTENTION, THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS, AND BEHAVIOR, UNDERSTANDING, AND EXPRESSING THEIR EMOTIONS APPROPRIATELY, AS WELL AS ANXIETY, AND SLEEP. IN AUTISM RESEARCH, CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICES THAT WORK THROUGH BOTH BODY AND MIND HAVE SHOWN TENTATIVELY PROMISING RESULTS. HOWEVER, THERE ARE LIMITED STUDIES ON THIS TOPIC, AND THE USE OF YOGA TO FACILITATE EXECUTIVE CONTROL HAS NOT BEEN RESEARCHED YET. THE INCREDIBLE EXPLORERS (6-WEEK PROGRAM), A YOGA-INFORMED INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN (8-12 YEARS), WAS DEVELOPED TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER, FOR CHILDREN ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM, THE TRAINING COULD IMPROVE THE ABILITY TO SELF-REGULATE, REDUCE ANXIETY AND SLEEP PROBLEMS, AND INCREASE AWARENESS OF EMOTIONS. IN OUR SAMPLE, 61 CHILDREN WITH ONE OF THEIR PARENTS COMPLETED THE PROGRAM. HALF OF THE GROUP RECEIVED THE INTERVENTION, AND THE OTHER HALF HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE YOGA GROUP COMPLETED THEIR TRIAL. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED TO GIVE THEIR FEEDBACK IMMEDIATELY AFTER PROGRAM COMPLETION AND AT 6-WEEK FOLLOW-UP. COMPARED TO THE GROUP THAT WAS WAITING TO RECEIVE THE INTERVENTION, PARENTS IN THE YOGA GROUP REPORTED SIGNIFICANT GAINS FOR THEIR CHILDREN IN REGULATING THEIR OVERALL EXECUTIVE CONTROL IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SESSION AND AGAIN AT FOLLOW-UP. THE PARENTS REPORTED A REDUCTION IN SOME OF THE SLEEP PROBLEMS POST-TREATMENT. CHILDREN INDICATED AN IMPROVED ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE THEIR FEELINGS AND WILLINGNESS TO ANALYZE THEIR EMOTIONS POST-INTERVENTION. HOWEVER, THE STUDY HAD SEVERAL SHORTCOMINGS AND GIVEN THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TRIAL OF THE PROGRAM, THE RESULTS NEED TO BE INTERPRETED WITH CAUTION. FURTHER RESEARCH IS RECOMMENDED. 2021 20 2191 31 THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PRACTICE IN SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION ON CHILDREN'S MOTOR ABILITIES AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR. BACKGROUND: IN RECENT YEARS, YOGA PROGRAMS IN CHILDHOOD HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN SCHOOLS, TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT FOR CHILDREN. AIM: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA PROGRAM IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES ON THE MOTOR ABILITIES AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR PARAMETERS OF 6-8-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN. METHODS: THE STUDY INCLUDED 16 CHILDREN FROM THE 1(ST) GRADE OF A PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE SOUTH OF BRAZIL. THE CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN A 12-WEEK INTERVENTION, TWICE WEEKLY, WITH 45 MIN EACH SESSION. TO ASSESS CHILDREN'S PERFORMANCE, WE USED THE BRUININKS-OSERETSKY TEST OF MOTOR PROFICIENCY - SECOND EDITION, THE FLEXIBILITY TEST (SIT AND REACH - EUROFIT, 1988), THE PICTORIAL SCALE OF PERCEIVED COMPETENCE AND SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WITH CHILDREN, PARENTS, AND CLASSROOM' TEACHER. DATA WERE ANALYZED WITH WILCOXON TEST AND LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE WAS 5%. RESULTS: THE YOGA PROGRAM WAS WELL ACCEPTED BY CHILDREN, CHILDREN ALSO DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT AND POSITIVE CHANGES IN OVERALL MOTOR ABILITIES SCORES (BALANCE, STRENGTH, AND FLEXIBILITY). IN ADDITION, THE INTERVIEWS REPORTED CHANGING IN SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND THE USE OF THE KNOWLEDGE LEARNED IN THE PROGRAM IN CONTEXTS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. CONCLUSION: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF YOGA PRACTICE IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION LESSONS CONTRIBUTED TO CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT. 2016