Summary: Using AI-generated directions, researchers have modified a children’s exercise regimen to better assist neurodivergent learners. By embracing ChatGPT, the crew simplified and clarified motion guidelines in over 500 activities from the InPACT movie collection.
This change makes physical exercise options more diverse, especially for children with autism and other neurodivergent problems. With continued efforts to expand resources and translations for a wider approach, the program highlights how systems can improve mobility and physical wellbeing in schooling.
Important Facts:
- AI Adaptation: ChatGPT assisted in rewriting 500+ training directions to be more concise and diverse for children with disabilities.
- InPACT at Home: The software, which was originally designed as a response to COVID-19, then supports universal style with clear, clear instructions.
- Sensory Support: Guidelines were adjusted for problems like stability, engine cooperation, and speech control.
University of Michigan cause
A research team at the University of Michigan has used Artificial to provide training” snacks” to children with autism.
The research team, led by U-M exercise scientist Elizabeth Hasson, overhauled a system that aimed to help kids exercising when families had to tilt to online learning during the COVID-19 crisis.
Then, a team of researchers from the School of Kinesiology used ChatGPT to reform the guidelines for the agency’s 132 training videos, adapting them to better meet the needs of neurodivergent kids.
Their findings are published in Frontiers in Physiology, the journal.
Again in 2012, Michelle Obama performing” This Move”! plan to battle childhood obesity, Hasson began working on way to incorporate physical exercise into children’s everyday life.
She and other researchers used the concept of “exercise snacks,” short periods of training lasting between three and four minutes, to find ways to incorporate physical activity into children’s school days without having major disruptions.  ,
They called the plan InPACT, or Interrupting Extended Sitting with Action. To date, the software has been used in 25 schools in Michigan.
” We had these fantastic education options, teachers felt supported, children moved more, and then the pandemic,” Hasson said.
” The house became the school, and kids ‘ physical activity dropped significantly. So we had to figure out how to modify what we were doing in the classroom to our own surroundings.
The researchers soon began creating InPACT by adapting it for use in homes. To reach children who might not have online access, the researchers worked with PBS’s Michigan Learning Channel and the Department of Education to transmit the physical exercise program on TV. The television program received between 15 000 and 20 000 people each day in just six months.
Although the system was successful, scholar Haylie Miller, a developmental psychologist and associate professor of motion technology, noticed that neurodivergent kids may have trouble following instructions because the exercises were made to be taught by neurotypical children.
Miller examines how neurodivergent people utilize sensory information to organize, control, and improve movement.  ,
The group made the decision to work together to improve the accessibility requirements of neurodivergent children.
” Neurodivergent people process sensory information differently than neurotypical people, which can make physical activity uncomfortable, difficult or intimidating”, Miller said.
” Neurodivergent people may require more or different causes to feel at ease while performing an action because they also have differences in body awareness and speech processing.”
She points out that if someone struggles with balance, coordination of their arms, and performing a multilevel activity, they will likely need more physical or psychological support to succeed in a challenging motion like a jumping jack.
The group began examining the 132 training videos developed for the InPACT system, each of which included several exercises. Tania Sapre, a graduate student, was asked to begin making the videos ‘ exercise instructions more accessible to neurodiversity.
When I suddenly realized that ChatGPT might be able to bridge the knowledge gap and data overload I was experiencing, Sapre said,” I had started playing around with ChatGPT to get inspiration about how I should format my instructions.”
” I thought that if I could perfect using ChatGPT for my instructions, I could create a simple process that could be replicated by other researchers, teachers and families at home to tackle novel exercises that our program did not cover, helping kids stay active everywhere”.
The team first set up their video content so that they could create queries to send to ChatGPT. The researchers identified more than 500 activities from the 132 InPACT at Home videos. They then categorized these activities into main skill groups: jumping, core, lateral, sport, upper body, lower body and compound movements.
Then, they created a prompt to prompt ChatGPT to provide a set of instructions for a specific exercise. For instance, the researchers requested from ChatGPT to” Provide simplified step-by-step instructions for a jumping jack, suitable for a neurodivergent child.”
Based on ChatGPT’s answer to that question, the researchers then asked the AI tool to” Condense the step-by-step instructions for a jumping jack, suitable for a neurodivergent child”.
The team made sure the AI-generated instructions were written correctly by hand over each set of instructions. The researchers also made sure that the instructions adhered to the” ThreeC’s,” a fundamental principle of their exercise program, with consistency, concision, and clarity.
” The InPACT team was already on the right track toward universal design by using video modeling and verbal prompts. A neurodivergent person can really benefit from having multiple means of representation without having to guess,” Miller said.
We’ve built on this strong foundation by simplifying the language used to describe each movement, categorizing each component more clearly, and using the same words for all activities to avoid ambiguity.
Alanna Price is a regional health coordinator for her Michigan district. She helped to revise the instructions for the neurodivergent learners and oversees both the driver’s and health education.
” Adaptive Physical Education is necessary because it allows all children to engage in physical activities that are modified to their abilities. This promotes physical health, social skills and emotional well-being”, Price said.
APE programs” change” traditional physical education to better address the needs of all students, assisting them in developing their motor skills, strength, and coordination.
” Modified exercise instructions for neurodivergent children, such as those with autism or ADHD, can enhance their physical and cognitive development. These modifications often include simplifying movements and cue words, using visual aids and incorporating sensory-friendly activities.”
According to Miller, the team has also begun creating a” starter pack” of activity play cards for people who require more foundational skills before beginning the full InPACT experience.
Parents who had children who learn differently had fewer resources during the pandemic. In the future, we hope to be more proactive rather than reactive, but this has been a great learning experience for us all, and I think it speaks to the value of being open to criticism,” Hasson said.
Being willing to work with others to make that happen is really important if your goal is to make sure that all children have access to opportunities for active play.
The researchers hope to have their videos translated into Spanish and Arabic, the two most popular languages in Michigan after English, in addition to the starter pack.
Study co-authors include Alanna Price of the Detroit Public School Community District, Anna Schwartz and Kerry Winkelseth of the U-M School of Kinesiology, Ron Zernicke of the U-M School of Kinesiology and U-M Medical School, and Leah Ketcheson and Jeanne Barcelona of Wayne State University.
About this news about AI, ASD, and exercise research
Author: Morgan Sherburne
Source: University of Michigan
Contact: Morgan Sherburne – University of Michigan
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
By Rebecca E. Hasson et al.,” Enhanced home-based physical activity for neurodivergent children: adapting the , InPACT at Home , program with AI and universal design.” Physiology frontiers
Abstract
Enhancing home-based physical activity for neurodivergent children: adapting the , InPACT at Home , program with AI and universal design
Purpose: While it is common practice for schools to enroll neurodivergent students in physical education classes, many programs, such as those offered at home or in the community, are not effectively tailored to meet their support needs.
This disparity contributes to lower levels of physical activity among neurodivergent children. Our objective was to address this issue by systematically adapting the , InPACT ( Interrupting Prolonged sitting with ACTivity ) at Home , program to enable neurodivergent children to safely engage in physical activity at home.
Methods: The rapid-cycle research adaptation process involved several crucial steps: ( 1 ) gathering an expert team to guide the development of the instructions ( knowledge exploration ), ( 2 ) grouping video content based on various types of skills and exercises ( problem exploration ), and ( 3 ) using generative artificial intelligence ( AI ) to craft succinct instructions and cue words for each skill/exercise ( solution development ).
These outputs were then refined by the skilled team. The refinements were guided by the Universal Design for Learning ( UDL ) principle of” Representation,” which acknowledges that learners perceive and understand information in diverse ways.
Results: Over 500 activities were identified and broken down into the main skill categories of jumping, core, lateral, sport, upper body, lower body, and compound movements. Expert meetings emphasized the importance of consistency, concision, and clarity when crafting instructions, as well as the use of straightforward, elementary sight words.
AI was employed to generate and refine prompts like” Provide simplified step-by-step instructions for a jumping jack, suitable for a neurodivergent child “and” Condense the step-by-step instructions for a jumping jack, suitable for a neurodivergent child”.
Discussion: The adaptation of the already-existing InPACT at Home program was based on dissemination and implementation science frameworks, with the goal of ensuring that neurodivergent children have access to structured youth physical activity opportunities. By incorporating AI and UDL principles, we hope to increase the accessibility of the program.
Our next steps include evaluating the effectiveness of our program adaptations in encouraging participation in the , InPACT at Home , program and subsequently increasing physical activity levels among neurodivergent children.
