REVIEW article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Health Psychology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1509827
This article is part of the Research TopicMental Health in Recreational and Elite SportsView all 30 articles
Physical Activity and Addressing Emotional Needs Can Help Reduce Medication Dependence in Autism
Provisionally accepted- 1Other
- 2Hermods AB Yrkeshögskola, Umeå/Östersund, Sweden, Umeå/Östersund,, Sweden
- 3Frösunda omsorg, Stockholm, Sweden
- 4Vuxna,Boende Vuxen LSS och Socialpsykiatri, Stockholm, Sweden
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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes deficits in social interactions, communication skills, intellectual limitations, and self-injurious behaviors. Common systemic comorbidities include gastrointestinal issues, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Recent study has found a link between gut microbiota alterations and neurobehavioral symptoms in children with ASD. Physical activity and exercise therapy have been demonstrated to promote communication and social interaction while also positively influencing microbiota composition. This research intends to highlight how various sports can improve speech and social abilities in autistic children while also benefitting gut microbiota composition. Parents of autistic children confront several problems. Many parents are too busy or lack the essential information to care for their children at home, so they rely on government-provided healthcare facilities. This condition hinders these youngsters from having a regular upbringing, resulting in behaviors more akin to younger children as they get older. They frequently suffer from mental health concerns and may fail to articulate their needs and desires effectively. The inability to articulate oneself can lead to negative conduct, especially against others who remind them of their parents or siblings. Addressing these issues may entail examining early memories and involving people in activities that match their interests and developmental phases. By doing so, they may feel more understood and sensitive to instruction, like a small child.
Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Physical activity/exercise interventions, Pharm acological treatments, Medication dependence, Emotional/social outcomes
Received: 11 Oct 2024; Accepted: 25 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Sahebi, Grann, Tamdjidi and Thorell. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Majid Tamdjidi, Frösunda omsorg, Stockholm, Sweden
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.