The Development of a Motor Fitness Test for Autistic Children

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a motor fitness test for autistic children. The main instrument in the research is a motor fitness test for autistic children which was created using the concept and theory of development in motor fitness tests for pre-kindergarten children developed by Supitr Smahito which consists of five elements. The research was undertaken via a focus group discussion and Index of Item–Objective Congruence (IOC) analysis which indicate that the fitness test mechanism for children with autism consists of six test aspects, namely a coordination test, balance test, reaction time test, muscular power test, agility test, and speed test. Content validity assessment was performed by seven experts which indicated that the developed test is appropriate and has a high possibility rate (0.98). Therefore, the motor fitness test for autistic children is high quality and practical. Moreover, the findings from this study may evaluate children’s level of autism motor fitness which can be used as a model to properly improve autistic children in other groups in the future.