Andrea Deslandes
Researcher and professor at the Institute of Psychiatry of UFRJ
Coordinator of the Exercise Neuroscience Laboratory (Lanex)
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
The researchers sought to understand the challenges faced daily by families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and how they perceive the changes generated by practicing capoeira classes.
Andrea Deslandes
Researcher and professor at the Institute of Psychiatry of UFRJ
Coordinator of the Exercise Neuroscience Laboratory (Lanex)
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
APRIL/MAY 2026 | nº.6 | Study uses Capoeira to stimulate the motor, cognitive, sensory and emotional performance of children with autism spectrum disorder
ILUSTRAÇÃO: ADOBESTOCK
Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian cultural manifestation, has opened its circle to include very distant places, taking our intangible cultural heritage of humanity to help in the development of children all over the planet. In addition to its multisensory characteristics and the complexity of its motor gestures, it fosters a sense of community and affectivity, capable of promoting a special environment to stimulate children’s cognition.
In the ritualistic space of the capoeira circle, everyone has a role, and the multiplicity of unpredictable stimuli (such as the berimbau’s beat and the sound of the songs, the spaces of the circle, and the movements of the practitioners) needs to be observed, evaluated, and responded to at each moment with the best motor decision, in an environment of great camaraderie.
In Brazil, researcher and capoeira master Valter Fernandes, in collaboration with researchers from the CpE Network and Canada, conducted a pioneering study on Capoeira and the executive functions of children in 2022. The study showed that children who had capoeira classes for a semester showed better performance in executive functions. It also pointed out that the more classes, the better the result, which we call in research the “dose-response effect”.
In a systematic review of the literature, this same author, in collaboration with other researchers, found that Capoeira activates several areas of the brain related to motor, cognitive, and emotional processing. The results resonated across the globe, and in 2025, researchers from the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ariel University in Israel described the effect of capoeira on children with autism spectrum disorder.
Successful Integration
In this pilot study, Israeli researchers used a “bottom-up” approach, which explores the scientific problem not only from the researcher’s perspective, but also from the perceptions and experiences of the people being investigated, bringing the research closer to the specific needs of those who matter most: society.
This methodology can contribute to the development of future quantitative research and facilitate the subsequent implementation of evidence in real life. The researchers sought to understand the challenges faced daily by families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and how they perceive the changes generated by practicing capoeira classes.
Another focus of the authors was to identify mechanisms and factors that contribute to the successful integration of children, such as the role of capoeira instructors and their teaching techniques.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven mothers and three fathers of children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD who had been regularly practicing capoeira classes for at least one year.
Changes in Development
The interview included questions related to the child’s history and diagnosis, the child’s involvement with capoeira, and perceived changes in development, emotions, or behavior related to participation in capoeira. Finally, the interview addressed the relationship between parents and instructors and how the capoeira environment supported inclusion.
The main results showed the following improvements with Capoeira: better sensory regulation, motor coordination, body awareness, and social communication; increased motivation, independence, sense of belonging, and integration; and increased self-confidence, initiative, awareness of others, and transfer of skills beyond the training context.
The conclusion reinforces what Brazilian researchers had already demonstrated in studies with neurotypical children: Capoeira can be indicated to stimulate the motor, cognitive, sensory, and emotional performance of children with ASD.
That’s Capoeira opening the circle of inclusion to promote belonging, autonomy, competence, and body literacy. Axé!
