Motor Skills and Calibrated Autism Severity in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan MacDonald ◽  
Catherine Lord ◽  
Dale A. Ulrich
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autism Severity ◽  
Gross Motor Skills ◽  
Skill Deficits ◽  
Young Children With Autism ◽  
Social Communicative

In addition to the core characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), motor skill deficits are present, persistent, and pervasive across age. Although motor skill deficits have been indicated in young children with autism, they have not been included in the primary discussion of early intervention content. One hundred fifty-nine young children with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD (n = 110), PDD-NOS (n = 26), and non-ASD (n = 23) between the ages of 14–33 months participated in this study.1 The univariate general linear model tested the relationship of fine and gross motor skills and social communicative skills (using calibrated autism severity scores). Fine motor and gross motor skills significantly predicted calibrated autism severity (p < .05). Children with weaker motor skills have greater social communicative skill deficits. Future directions and the role of motor skills in early intervention are discussed.

The Relationship of Motor Skills and Social Communicative Skills in School-Aged Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan MacDonald ◽  
Catherine Lord ◽  
Dale A. Ulrich
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Communicative Skills ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Skill Deficits ◽  
Social Communicative ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Motor skill deficits are present and persist in school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Staples & Reid, 2010). Yet the focus of intervention is on core impairments, which are part of the diagnostic criteria for ASD, deficits in social communication skills. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the functional motor skills, of 6- to 15-year-old children with high-functioning ASD, predict success in standardized social communicative skills. It is hypothesized that children with better motor skills will have better social communicative skills. A total of 35 children with ASD between the ages of 6–15 years participated in this study. The univariate GLM (general linear model) tested the relationship of motor skills on social communicative skills holding constant age, IQ, ethnicity, gender, and clinical ASD diagnosis. Object-control motor skills significantly predicted calibrated ASD severity (p < .05). Children with weaker motor skills have greater social communicative skill deficits. How this relationship exists behaviorally, needs to be explored further.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document