Paper Title
EXERGAMING PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF FAMILIES EXPERIENCES AND VIEWS

Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) face barriers to engaging in physical activity (PA) and tend to be less physically fit then their typically developing peers. This pilot study was undertaken to learn about the experiences of children with ASD and their parents using thematic analysis, after the children took part in a six-week in-home exergaming program using Liberi, a suite of minigames developed through a participatory design process in children with Cerebral Palsy. The exergames require players to pedal a recumbent bicycle and were developed to promote moderate-to-vigorous PA with special controls to facilitate gameplay for those with motor impairments. Players access the online games (solo or group) through tablets connected to the bicycles. Arm-mounted monitors enable real-time feedback when players reach target heart rate. We recruited five children with ASD aged 8-12 years and one parent per household. Bikes/gaming stations were set up in participants’ homes. Children were asked to play the exergames for at least 45 minutes three times per week, on/at specified days/time over a six-week period. An interview was developed to elicit eight participants’ experiences and views of the exergames/program. Four themes were identified: Motivation: Enjoyed winning, earning money, playing with others, shopping in the e-store. Frustration: Wanted larger selection of games, disliked sensory feel of head set, frustrated with technical difficulties, perceived unfair play, lack of game variety and consistency. Program Benefits: engaged in PA, confidence, more family discussion/socializing and safe space for online play. Sustainability: novelty wearing off. We hope that the findings will stimulate and inform the design of future studies to evaluate exergaming as a novel intervention to promote physical activity and fitness in children with ASD. Keywords - Exergaming, Physical Activity, Autism Spectrum Disorder