Effect of Mindfulness Practices on Concentration and Attention Span Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Keywords:
Autism spectrum disorder, Mindfulness, Concentration, Attention Span, Pranayama, MeditationAbstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience difficulties in concentration and sustained attention, which can affect classroom participation, task persistence, behavioural regulation, and academic engagement. Although mindfulness-based approaches have been increasingly discussed as supportive interventions for attentional regulation and self-management, focused empirical evidence on their effects on concentration and attention span among children with ASD remains limited. The present study examined the effect of mindfulness practices on concentration and attention span among children with ASD using a single-group pretest-posttest experimental design. The sample comprised 30 children with ASD aged 8 to 14 years, selected through non-probability sampling from school-based settings. Participants received a structured four-week mindfulness programme based on pranayama and meditation practices delivered in 45-minute sessions. Concentration and attention span were assessed using a researcher-constructed and validated test, and the data were analysed using descriptive statistics and paired-samples t tests. The findings indicated statistically significant postintervention improvement in both outcomes. Concentration scores increased from a pretest mean of 24.42 to a posttest mean of 27.32, while attention-span scores increased from a pretest mean of 15.90 to a posttest mean of 22.65. These findings suggest that structured mindfulness practices may serve as a promising supportive intervention for improving attentional focus among children with ASD. However, the findings should be interpreted cautiously in light of the single-group design, modest sample size, and the need to verify one reported attention-span test statistic against the original statistical output.
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