Effects of Zumba dance to enhance motor skills of children with autism spectrum disorder

Background Motor difficulties are common among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and may affect participation in everyday activities. Structured physical activity incorporating rhythmic movement may provide an engaging approach to motor-skill development.Objective This study evaluated the effect of a 12-week Zumba-based intervention on motor proficiency in children with ASD.Methods Sixty children with ASD aged 6–12 years were assigned to an experimental Zumba group (n = 30) or a control group (n = 30). The experimental group participated in 45-minute Zumba sessions three times per week for 12 weeks. Motor proficiency was assessed before and after the intervention using the Bruininks–Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2). Within-group changes were examined using paired-samples t-tests, and baseline differences were examined using an independent-samples t-test.Results Baseline motor-proficiency scores did not differ significantly between the Zumba and control groups (6.83 ± 3.42 vs. 7.43 ± 1.59; t(58) = 0.870, p = .388). The Zumba group demonstrated a significant increase from 6.83 ± 3.42 to 14.83 ± 2.98, representing a mean improvement of 8.00 points (117.1%; t(29) = 23.597, p < .001). The control group also showed a significant but smaller increase from 7.43 ± 1.59 to 8.53 ± 1.28, corresponding to a mean improvement of 1.10 points (14.8%; t(29) = 5.674, p < .001). The reported within-group effect size for the experimental group was approximately 2.49.Conclusion A 12-week Zumba program was associated with substantial improvement in motor proficiency among children with ASD. Larger controlled studies with blinded assessment and long-term follow-up are needed to establish intervention-specific and sustained effects.