Mehrnoush Shamiri - Master Graduate, Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
Masoumeh Shojaei - Associat Professor, Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
Hassan Ashayeri - Full Professor and Neurology and Psychology Specialist, University of Medical Sciences and Healthcare Services of Iran, Tehran, Iran
Afkham Daneshfar - Associat Professor, Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Al-Zahra University, Tehran, Iran

Background: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are developmental conditions characterized by deficits in social interaction, motor performance, and obsessive/stereotyped patterns of behavior. Although there is no reliable neurophysiological marker associated with ASD, dysfunction of the parietal-frontal mirror neuron system has been suggested as a disturbance linked to the disorder. Objective: The purpose of this applied and basic study was to investigate the effect of perceptual-motor training on the mirror neuron activity, behavioral disorders, and social development in children with high function autism. Methods: The pretest-posttest randomized-group research design was used for this quasi-experimental research. Therefore,  ۱۲ children with high function autism (۷-۱۱ years) were selected from a special school and then assigned into two groups (experimental and control). Social development, behavioral disorders, and mirror neurons activity were assessed at baseline (pre-intervention), week ۸ ( post-intervention). The experimental group received perceptual motor training three times per week for ۸ weeks). Data were analyzed by independent t-test, mixed ۲ ˟ ۲ ˟ ۲ ˟ ۳ ANOVA, mix ANOVA ۲ ˟ ۲ at the p<۰.۰۵ significance. Results: Results showed that perceptual motor training significantly reduced behavioral disorders(p<۰.۰۵), and increased social development in the experimental group(p<۰.۰۵). furthermore, there was a significant improvement in MNs activity in the experimental group compared with the control group. (p<۰.۰۵). Conclusion: These results can affect the improvement of autistic children and it emphasized the role of motor skills in autistic children school schedule.

Mu rhythm -autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Behavioral Disorders, Social Development, Physical Activity