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.
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Megan MacDonald, Catherine Lord, and Dale A. Ulrich
Kassi A. Boyd and Donna L. Goodwin
Public spaces, such as leisure settings, can be heavily regulated and hierarchically arranged, imposing restrictive social expectations that lead to the mistreatment, exclusion, and violation of dignity of some people ( Ryan, 2005 ). It has been argued that children on the autism spectrum
E. Andrew Pitchford and E. Kipling Webster
, & Visscher, 2011 ), autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Liu, Hamilton, Davis, & ElGarhy, 2014 ; Pan, Tsai, & Chu, 2009 ; Staples & Reid, 2010 ), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; Harvey & Reid, 1997 ; Harvey et al., 2007 , 2009 ), and visual impairments ( Haibach, Wagner, & Lieberman, 2014
Marie Abu Itham, Serene Kerpan, Robert Balogh, and Meghann Lloyd
development ( Yogman et al., 2018 ) and is listed as a human right for children of all abilities in Article 31 of The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child ( United Nations, 1989 ). Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences in social interaction
Adam S. Forbes and Joonkoo Yun
During the past decade, researchers have reported that children with autism exhibit delays in movement performance ( Fournier et al., 2010 ). Some suggested that these delays may be due to difficulties in processing information in a physical activity (PA) context ( Mowling et al., 2018 ). The
Janette Hynes, Julien Pineau, and Mike Ramirez
Autism diagnoses have seen a 787% growth from 1998 to 2018 ( Raleva et al., 2022 ). This increase in diagnoses is theorized by experts to be caused by advancements in diagnosis criteria, with one study citing 60% of the increase due to changes in reporting practices ( Hansen et al., 2015 ) such as
Alyssa N. Olivas, Emily A. Chavez, and Jeffrey D. Eggleston
Weighted vests are a common intervention modality for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) used during sensory integration therapy. 1 Findings suggest children with ASD have demonstrated decreased hyperreactivity and sensory defensiveness due to the passive weighted vest application. 2
Ran Zheng, Ilana D. Naiman, Jessica Skultety, Steven R. Passmore, Jim Lyons, and Cheryl M. Glazebrook
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined clinically by impairments in communication, social interaction, and behavioral flexibility ( American Psychiatric Association, 2013 ). According to Autism Speaks Inc. ( 2018 ), autism affects one in 59 children, specifically one in 37 boys. Prevalence rates
Karlee Naumann, Jocelyn Kernot, Gaynor Parfitt, Bethany Gower, and Kade Davison
); spinal cord injury (SCI; Ellapen et al., 2018 ); Parkinson’s disease (PD; Pinto et al., 2019 ); autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Mortimer et al., 2014 ); and acquired brain injury (ABI; Mehrholz et al., 2011 ). Evidence for physical effects, such as improved gross motor skills ( Roostaei et al., 2017
Yu Song, Bo Shen, Liansan Dong, Yanli Pang, and Jin Bo
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are characterized as having challenges in social interactions and communication, restricted interests, and stereotyped or repetitive behavior patterns ( American Psychiatric Association, 2013 ). It has been reported that children with ASD have a high
