Dance, Yoga, And Mindful Movement Training For ASD

Overview

The goal of this study is to learn if a dance, yoga, and mindful movement program can improve the lives of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a condition that can affect how a person communicates, connects with others, and experiences daily life. This study focuses on adults ages 18 to 35. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Can a dance, yoga, and mindful movement program improve social skills and communication for adults with ASD? * Can it improve their quality of life and sense of well-being? * Can it improve their physical, mental, and emotional health? Dance, yoga, and mindful movement have been studied in children with ASD, but very little research has looked at how they may help adults. This study hopes to help fill that gap. Participants will: * Take part in a 12-week dance, yoga, and mindful movement program * Answer survey questions at the start and end of the program about their social skills, communication, quality of life, well-being, and overall health

Rationale: A structured literature search was conducted to characterize the existing evidence base prior to designing this study. A PubMed search for "dance, Yoga and mindful movement" conducted on 5/12/2025 returned three results, of which two were relevant and pertained to movement-to-music and adapted yoga in people with multiple sclerosis rather than ASD. This informed the design of the present study as a formal evaluation of a multimodal movement program delivered as a non-invasive, non-treatment-based lifestyle intervention. Design: This is a non-randomized, open-label, single-arm interventional study using a pre-/post-intervention, within-subjects design. There is no control or comparison group; each participant serves as their own comparator, with self-report data collected at baseline and at program end to characterize within-participant change. The study is classified as non-significant risk. Planned enrollment is 20-40 participants, all assigned to the single intervention arm. Intervention structure: The intervention is a 12-week program delivered as one 60-minute in-person session per week at the USC Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center. The intended delivery model uses four instructors supporting a class of 20-40 participants, allowing adaptive, individualized support within a group setting. Each weekly session follows a consistent but flexible sequence that integrates yoga, dance, and mindfulness-based movement, with individual components mapped to specific intended mechanisms: * Music-free greeting and quiet closing to anchor the session and promote social interaction, community, and belonging * Opening meditation, periodic breath check-ins, cool-down, and savasana to support self-regulation and somatic integration * Qi Gong and tactile grounding exercises to warm the body and enhance body awareness * A brief asana sequence (e.g., mountain, warrior, modified tree, hands-over-heart grounding) * Cross-lateral movement and developmental movement patterns (core-distal work, homo-lateral sequencing, weekly mirror exercises) intended to provide neurological stimulation and engage midline-crossing and mirror-neuron activity * Weekly group line-dance choreography with new steps added each week, intended to engage memory, executive function, and spatial and social awareness * Structured improvisation to participant-selected music to encourage autonomy, expression, and novel movement patterns The session architecture is held constant week to week to support predictability and participant comfort, while choreography and movement material accumulate progressively across the 12 weeks. Assessment schedule and participant burden: Self-report assessments are administered at two timepoints - baseline (Week 0-1), conducted alongside eligibility screening, and post-program (Week 12-13), which includes follow-up testing and a reflective interview on program outcomes. The assessment battery is expected to take approximately 30-60 minutes at each timepoint. Participants complete the battery twice and attend up to 12 weekly intervention sessions over the study period. Analytic approach: Analyses will focus on within-subject, pre-to-post change, using descriptive statistics and paired comparisons appropriate to the achieved sample size. Because the design is single-arm and non-randomized, results are intended to be exploratory and hypothesis-generating, supporting the design of larger, controlled studies. Study team and data handling: The program is delivered by a multidisciplinary team spanning professional dance, certified yoga therapy, and inclusive dance pedagogy, in collaboration with Sacred Spectrum Movement Inc. (a 501(c)(3) supporting the neurodivergent community) and CorbinDances, Inc. Recruitment support and several study activities are performed by team members who will not have access to participant identifiers; identifiable-data access is restricted to designated study personnel.