Analysis of the acquisition of motor development and language in children with autism spectrum disorder: systematic review

Abstract

The relationship between motor development and language skills has important implications for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The aim of the present study was to analyze the acquisition of motor development and language in children with ASD. Guiding questions: Is the acquisition of language and motor development altered in children with ASD? What instruments are used to measure these aspects? Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Searches were conducted in the PubMed (National Library of Medicine), Scopus and Web of Science databases using the following search terms: “Autism Spectrum Disorder” AND “Language” OR “Language Development” AND ¨Motor” OR “Motor Skills Disorders” in the period between April and June 2022. Results: A total of 1262 articles were retrieved from the electronic databases. After the discerning selection process, five articles were included in the present systematic review. Conclusion: The findings suggest that children with low motor development have a certain delay in the acquisition of language. The main instruments used for the assessment of these skills are the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2, Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales II and British Picture Vocabulary Scale III.