The effect of an online physical activity intervention for South Korean immigrant parents of individuals with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract The main purpose of the study was to explore the perceptions of South Korean immigrant parents of individuals on the autism disorder spectrum (ASD) about participating in an online PA intervention in terms of advocating physical activity (PA) participation for their children on the autism disorder spectrum. A secondary purpose was to identify the similar or different experiences between two groups of parents (i.e., adults with ASD, children with ASD). We recruited 12 parents of adults and children on the autism disorder spectrum for this qualitative descriptive study. The data sources were a semi-structured interview with Zoom technology, a Google demographic questionnaire, and the researcher’s reflective journal. In addition, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TpB; Ajzen 1991. The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 50(2). 179–211) served as the theoretical framework to develop the intervention (e.g., interview questions), understand the contextual meaning of parental experiences, and uncover the underlying factors shaping parents’ perceptions of teaching PA after the intervention. The data were analyzed using a constant comparative data analysis, which revealed three major themes: (a) new knowledge about PA, (b) the lack of confidence, and (c) the roles of advocacy. The overall study’s results revealed that the majority of South Korean immigrant parents of individuals on the autism disorder spectrum increased their knowledge about PA through the intervention. However, a number of perceived behavior controls, such as a lack of prior experience in PA, challenging behaviors in their children, and cultural and language differences, continued to hinder their ability to actively advocate PA participation for their children on the autism disorder spectrum.