A pilot study co-funded by Action has become the launchpad for a much larger programme of work that is set to help improve the lives of children with disabilities in the UK and beyond.

In 2017, Professor Helen Dawes and her team began investigating the potential benefits of different classroom-based exercise programmes for children with cerebral palsy.

Professor Dawes says: “This Action-funded pilot study was an important first step towards proving that scheduling regular breaks in the school day for physical activity sessions could have wide-ranging benefits, improving children’s academic performance, strength, mobility and their overall health and wellbeing.”

Following the initial study and wider collaborations, the team has gone on to secure more than £10 million funding from the European Commission Horizon programme. Exercise interventions have now been adapted for children and young people with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and developmental coordination disorder (DCD).

A key focus now is the use of ‘exergaming’ – a gamified exercise platform delivered through virtual reality. This is designed to make physical activity more enjoyable, accessible and motivating for neurodiverse children. Further developments aim to help children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and ataxia.

Over the next five years, the team aims to develop AI-driven, personalised exercise programmes for use in the NHS. In the longer term, the plan is to expand activity to include wheelchair users worldwide.

The original Action-funded work has helped to initiate global research to support the development of digital and physical exercise programmes for young people with a range of different long-term conditions and disabilities. 

This research was co-funded with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Charitable Trust.