The impact of auditory rhythmic cueing on gross motor skills in children with autism

[Purpose] This study aimed to investigate the effect of auditory rhythmic cueing on gross motor skills in children with autism. [Participants and Methods] A total of 30 autistic children aged 8–10 years with mild to moderate autistic features participated in this study. They were randomly allocated to either the control group (n=15), which underwent a specially designed physical therapy program, or the study group (n=15), which underwent the same program in addition to gait training with rhythmic auditory stimulation. To provide rhythmic auditory stimulation, combination of a metronome beat set to the child’s cadence and rhythmic cueing from the MIDI Cuebase musical program was used. Both groups received 3 sessions per week for 3 months. The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency 2nd Edition was used to assess gross motor skills at baseline and after 3 months of intervention. [Results] The study found statistically significant improvements in bilateral coordination, balance, running speed and agility, and strength in both groups after treatment. Moreover, there were statistically significant differences between the 2 groups, with the study group showing better improvement in all outcome measures. [Conclusion] Gait training with auditory rhythmic cueing elicited a positive effect on the gross motor skills of children with autism.