The effects of exercise frequency on the stereotypic behaviours of four children with developmental disabilities were examined. Two exercise treatments were implemented, differentiated by frequency. The single frequency exercise treatment consisted of one daily 10 minute walk/jog session, while the multiple frequency treatment involved three 10 minute walk/jog sessions per day. Stereotypic behaviours were observed prior to the exercise sessions, as well as immediately following exercise. / The results indicated similar reductions in stereotypic behaviours with the use of both treatments. In the single frequency condition, subjects demonstrated a mean reduction of 51.6%. These data confirm the results of past research, in which a decrease in stereotypic behaviours was observed following a single bout of exercise. However, the positive results are usually short-lived. The mean reduction of 58.9% following the multiple frequency condition can be viewed as more effective than the single frequency condition because the reduction was maintained throughout different periods of the day. Inter-rater reliability of stereotypic behaviours was 86%. / The use of a multiple frequency exercise treatment informally revealed the interaction between exercise, environment, and stereotypic behaviours. Observation in the classroom suggested that as the structure of the classroom increased, stereotypic behaviours decreased. Thus, exercise combined with a structured classroom is likely to yield an optimal decrease in stereotypic behaviours.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.21253 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Prupas, Andrea Robin. |
| Contributors | Reid, Greg (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Arts (Department of Physical Education.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001654931, proquestno: MQ50559, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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