LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OF STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

In the case of a huge COVID19 pandemic in several countries, including Indonesia, the urgency of physical exercise for students with disabilities. The purpose of this study is to determine the physical activity level of students with ASD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants in this study The participants in this study were 17 students with autism spectrum disorder aged 8-14 years. This study uses descriptive quantitative research methods. The tool used is the Children’s Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ-C) via Google Forms. The data analysis included quantitative descriptive statistics and analytical needs testing using the IBM SPSS 24 application. The results of the study showed that the physical activity of students with disabilities during the COVID19 pandemic was at most distributed in the low category of 9 students (50%). Sports activities during the Covid19 pandemic include sunbathing, walking, jogging, cycling, and strength training. Most sports activities are helpful to parents. This has an impact on the reduction of students' physical activity from the middle category to the low category. To prevent the spread of the Covid19 virus, respondents should maintain and increase physical activity, engage in light physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day, and maintain immunity by eating nutritious foods such as vitamins, fruits, vegetables, and healthy foods.