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Teri Todd is with Adapted Physical Education Department at California State University, Chico. Greg
Reid is with the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, and Lynn Butler-Kisber is with
the Department of Integrated Studies in Education, both at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 2010, 27, 226-241
© 2010 Human Kinetics, Inc.
Cycling for Students With ASD:
Self-Regulation Promotes
Sustained Physical Activity
Teri Todd
California State University, Chico
Greg Reid and Lynn Butler-Kisber
McGill University
Individuals with autism often lack motivation to engage in sustained physical
activity. Three adolescents with severe autism participated in a 16-week program
and each regularly completed 30 min of cycling at the end of program. This study
investigated the effect of a self-regulation instructional strategy on sustained
cycling, which included self-monitoring, goal setting, and self-reinforcement. Of
particular interest was the development of self-effcacy during the physical activ-
ity as a mediator of goal setting. A multiple baseline changing criterion design
established the effectiveness of the intervention. The results suggest that self-
regulation interventions can promote sustained participation in physical activity
for adolescents with severe autism.
There is much to learn about promoting physically active lifestyles for people
with or without disabilities. Physical activity may be particularly benefcial for
people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), as recent research has shown
positive effects of sustained physical activity on both reduction of BMI (Pitetti,
Rendoff, Grover, & Beets, 2007) and disruptive and stereotypic behaviors (Prupas
& Reid, 2001; Todd & Reid, 2006); however, individuals with severe ASD often
lack motivation to sustain regular physical activity. Interventions that incorporate
self-determined behaviors may be one way of promoting regular participation. An
ecological perspective of self-determination guided the intervention in the current
study (Abery, Rudred, Arndt, Schauben, & Eggebeen, 1995; Abery & Stancliffe,
2003).
Self-determination refers to acting as the causal agent in one’s life (Wehmeyer,
1998). Wehmeyer and colleagues have studied self-determination of individuals
with intellectual disabilities for many years (Wehmeyer, 1998, 2005; Wehmeyer,
Abery, Mithaug, & Stancliffe, 2003; Wehmeyer & Metzler, 1995). Self-determined