Sport could be an integral part of treatment for autistic children who are put on a waiting list for psychological support. However, sporting facilities for children on the spectrum are scarce in Malta, according to local research.
Understaffing within the public service provision of child psychology has seen children being put on the waiting list for months, even up to a year, psychiatry trainee Daniel Vella Fondacaro said.
For some autistic children, the alternative to occupational therapy and psychological support is medication that could treat severe symptoms. However, parents are always wary of medicinal treatment and often ask for an alternative, so Dr Vella Fondacaro set about looking into sport as an alternative.
Dr Vella Fondacaro will be speaking about his research at a national conference organised by the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Held on Thursday and Friday, the conference will focus on neurodevelopmental disorders.
While research into the benefits of sports for autistic children has already been carried out abroad, Dr Vella Fondacaro had not come across similar studies in Malta, so he sought a sample from the Child and Young People Services unit at St Luke’s Hospital.
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He narrowed down the sample to 10 parents of autistic children, four of whom have been diagnosed with severe, four with moderate and two with a mild form of autism.
Those with milder forms of autism prefer technology-related activities
According to the feedback he received, while more parents want their children to participate in group sports and social activities, those with milder forms of autism preferred technology-related activities.
The research was carried out among parents of five- to 10-year olds, with the youngest ones and those with more severe autism being the most active in sporting events.
The parents admitted that while individual sport activities helped their children with building up their confidence, “it was like they were living in a bubble”.
Parents who took part in this postgraduate research flagged lack of awareness among the public and sports opportunities for autistic children. The biggest hurdle to overcome was the lack of group sporting activities provided to autistic children, with parents being able to mention only one dedicated facility.
Another challenge to engaging in sporting activities that parents who took part in the research mentioned was overcoming internet addiction.
When it comes to awareness, parents explained how people would pass comments about how they dealt with their children when they threw a tantrum in public.
For more information, visit www.acamh.org