Dance therapy in autism: a case report

Autism is one of the most common neurological disorders that affects the neurological development of children. Therapeutic interventions may intervene in communication disorders and stereotyped behaviors such as dancing, which as therapy can activate sensory pathways that enable gesture improvement. This study aimed to observe the effects of dance therapy in motor performance and gesture, body balance and gait, as well as in the quality of life of an adolescent with autistic disorder. It is a case study of a fifteen-year-old male who participated in 120 sessions of dance therapy, lasting 30 minutes, twice a week, on alternate days, over a period of one year. The assessment instruments used were the Motor Function Measure (MFM), Tinetti test and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). According to the MFM, the total score increased 27.08%; the Tinetti test regarding balance increased from 68 to 75%, and gait, from 16% to 66%. CARS changed from 41.5 to 34 points, changing the severe disorder to moderate within the proposed parameters. The dance therapy can optimize the psychomotor behavior of young people with autistic disorders.孤独症(Autism)是影响儿童神经发育的最常见神经发育障碍之一。治疗干预可针对沟通障碍与舞蹈样刻板行为等症状展开，而舞蹈疗法作为其中一种干预手段，能够激活感觉通路，助力动作姿态改善。本研究旨在观察舞蹈疗法对孤独症青少年的运动表现、动作姿态、身体平衡与步态，以及生活质量的影响。本研究为单病例研究，受试者为一名15岁男性，其在为期一年的周期内，每周隔日接受两次、每次30分钟的舞蹈疗法，总计完成120次治疗。本研究采用的评估工具包括运动功能评定量表（Motor Function Measure, MFM）、廷尼特测试（Tinetti test）以及儿童孤独症评定量表（Childhood Autism Rating Scale, CARS）。运动功能评定量表结果显示，总得分提升了27.08%；廷尼特测试中，平衡维度得分从68%升至75%，步态维度得分从16%升至66%。儿童孤独症评定量表得分从41.5分降至34分，按照该量表的预设判定标准，受试者的孤独症严重程度已从重度转为中度。综上，舞蹈疗法可优化孤独症青少年的精神运动行为。