LSU Research Team wins $50,000 to adapt a motor skills app for autistic children

BATON ROUGE – Many autistic children experience motor difficulties that are critical for eating, dressing, schoolwork, and physical activity. Nick Fears, PhD, and the Human Development and Daily Life Lab in the LSU School of Kinesiology were awarded $50,000 from the Healthy Weight Research Network (funded by HRSA/Maternal and Child Health Bureau) housed at the UMass Chan Medical School to adapt an app for parents and caregivers to use with their autistic preschoolers to improve their motor skills and increase their physical activity. The goal is to improve autistic preschool children’s motor skills to improve their health and enable them to participate in more activities in their homes, school, and communities.

Linda Bandini, PhD, Director of the Healthy Weight Research Network said, “We are delighted to support Dr. Fears’ project which aligns with the HWRN’s research agenda to develop responsive interventions which improve autistic children’s health and well-being.”

Current motor skills interventions for autistic children are time-intensive, expensive, and require families to access experts on a regular basis. The Mission: Play app, created by Amanda Staiano, PhD, of Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Kip Webster, PhD, at the University of Tennessee, is a free-to-use motor skills app for parents and caregivers. The Mission: Play app uses short 10-minute lessons that do not require special equipment so families can fit them into their busy schedules.

"Mission: Play is an app that provides parents with the foundations of basic motor skills through games to play with their child. The app is effective in improving motor skills over three months in typically developing children, boosting their scores on a motor skill assessment from below average to average. We are excited to partner with Dr. Fears to adapt this app for children with autism," said Staiano, who is an associate professor of pediatric obesity and health behavior.

By adapting the Mission: Play App to the specific needs of autistic children and their families, Fears and his team will improve access to motor skill interventions for autistic children and their families and improve their child’s quality of life. Families of autistic preschoolers interested in participating in this research should contact the Human Development & Daily Life Lab here.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UT4MC41898. The information or content and conclusions are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

Language Disclosure: Out of respect for preferences expressed by many autistic self-advocates in our studies, in the scientific literature (Bottema-Beutel et al., 2020, Autism in Adulthood, Avoiding Ableist Language: Suggestions for Autism Researchers), and in the community, we have chosen to use identity-first (rather than person-first) language throughout this press release when referring to autistic people. In doing so, it is not our intention to diminish or invalidate the preferences or perspectives of those who prefer person-first language.

---

About ECEI 
The Early Childhood Education Institute at LSU is focused holistically on the early years, and fills a unique niche by targeting early care, specifically birth through age three. Holistic development invites collaboration from other disciplines in the study of recommended practice for young children. The ECE Institute at LSU aims to make LSU a leader in early care and education research, dissemination and advocacy on recommended practices. Through a balanced emphasis on research and education programs, recommended practices in the education and care of young children will be created, applied, evaluated and disseminated. Our focus is on developing expert early care practitioners who deliver high-quality early childhood programming, engage in research practices and advocate for the profession. 
Visit the Early Childhood Education Institute website.

About SOK 
The LSU School of Kinesiology (SOK) advances the understanding of physical activity, sport, and health to optimize the quality of life for diverse populations through excellence in teaching, learning, discovery, and engagement. SOK offers a BS, MS, Online MS, PhD, and two certificate options. Graduates go on to successful careers in the health and fitness industry, corporate wellness, sport agencies and businesses, athletic administration, and K-12 educational settings. SOK is part of the College of Human Sciences & Education. 
Visit the School of Kinesiology website.

About CHSE 
The College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) is a nationally accredited division of Louisiana State University. The college is comprised of the School of Education, the School of Information Studies, the School of Kinesiology the School of Leadership & Human Resource Development, and the School of Social Work. CHSE has two model demonstration schools, the Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool, enrolling birth to age four and the University Laboratory School enrolling Kindergarten through grade 12. The college also has four centers and institutes: the Early Childhood Education Institute, the Healthy Aging Research Center, the Leadership Development Institute, and Social Research & Evaluation Center. The college is committed to achieving the highest standards in teaching, research, and service and is committed to improving quality of life across the lifespan. 
Visit the College of Human Sciences & Education website.