Greater motor skill proficiency and having greater perceived competence in the skills to engage in physical activity are necessary to participate among peers. Greater perceptions of having the adequate skills to participate is also a contributing factor in order to engage in active games in a social setting apart from school  and may translate into more frequent engagement with peers, providing more opportunity for social interactions.
Intervention
Intervention to improve motor skills among individuals with ASD.  The purpose is to evaluate the impact of multi-sport activities on motor skills, physical activity, physical self-perceptions, social and adaptive behaviour in a sport-related context.
Motor skills were incorporated into active group games in order to facilitate a high level of practice and repetition in realistic situations. The camper to councillor ratio of 3:1 ensured safety and provided opportunity for one-to-one support if necessary. The camp curriculum was inspired by Special Olympics FUNdamentals program, which falls within the Long Term Athlete Development Model (LTAD) to target the development of fundamental motor skills of young children with IDD (Special Olympics Canada, 2007). Skills taught at the camp included locomotor (run, gallop, leap, jump, hop, slide) and object control skills (underhand roll, dribble, overhand throw, catch, kick, strike). The skills taught progressed in difficulty throughout the week and were implemented into translational sport settings including: track and field, basketball, soccer, and baseball. Each day was overseen by the PI, with the assistance of trained camp staff, and a research assistant from the University.