Abstract
This study aims to determine the prevalence, severity, and nature of the motor abnormalities seen in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as to elucidate the associated developmental profiles. The short-form of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition (BOT-2) was used to assess various aspects of the motor performance of 119 children with ASD and 30 typically developing children (age range: 6–12 years) from three Gulf states. The results revealed the high prevalence of motor abnormalities among the ASD group when compared with the normative data derived from the BOT-2 manual as well as with the data concerning the typically developing group. The results also indicated that the motor performance of the children with ASD fell within the below-average range according to the BOT-2 cut-off score. Further, the results suggested that the age variable may influence the overall motor performance of children with ASD, since the children’s motor abnormalities may decrease with maturation. The results concerning the specific motor dysfunction profiles seen in individuals with ASD could help practitioners, parents, and educators to better understand the nature of the motor deficits exhibited by children with ASD, which could assist with the design and implementation of treatment and rehabilitation programs for such children. Overall, motor performance represents an important aspect that should be considered during the clinical evaluation of ASD and that should not be ignored during early interventions.
Highlights
IntroductionThe child development literature tends to assume that motor ability is an important indicator of overall development, if it is compromised [2]
Motor skills are associated with “activities that require a chain of sensory, central, and motor mechanisms whereby the performer is able to maintain constant control of the sensory input and in accordance with the goal of the movement” [1].The child development literature tends to assume that motor ability is an important indicator of overall development, if it is compromised [2]
Our results indicated that the children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were generally unable to perform the hand-eye coordination tasks
Summary
The child development literature tends to assume that motor ability is an important indicator of overall development, if it is compromised [2]. Early motor disturbances and delays are likely to have far-reaching consequences for later development, and they may be predictive of developmental disorders in later life [3,4]. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represent a population likely to experience motor impairments [5]. ASD affects every domain of human existence. An impairment in the motor domain can have profound effects on a child’s development in areas such as schooling, socialisation, and communication [6,7]. It has been estimated that “80–90% of children with ASD show some degree of motor abnormality” [8]. It should be noted that previous results regarding prevalence rates vary depending on the utilised cut-off scores, diagnoses, and instruments [9]
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