Gross Motor Profile and Its Association with Socialization Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

While social impairment is considered to be the core deficit in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a large proportion of these children have poor grossmotorability, and gross motor deficits may influence socialization skills in children with ASD. The objectives of this study were to compare gross motor skills in children with ASD to typically developing children, to describe gross motor problems in children with ASD, andtoinvestigate associations between gross motor and socialization skills in children with ASD. This was a cross-sectional study including 40 ASD children aged from 18monthsto6years and 40 age-matched typically developing controls. Gross motor andsocializationskills were scored using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, 2nd edition (Vineland-II). Below average gross motor function was found in eight of 40 (20%) ASD children. The mean gross motor v-scale score in the ASD group was 15.1 [standard deviation (SD) 3.12], significantly lower than in the control group [18.7, SD 2.09, p=0.0001; 95% confidence intervals (CI) from -4.725 to -2.525]. The differences were most prominent in ball throwing and catching, using stairs, jumping, and bicycling. The ASD children with grossmotor impairments had a mean socialization domain score of 66.6 (SD 6.50) comparedto 85.7 (SD 10.90) in those without gross motor impairments (p=0.0001, 95% CI from -25.327 to -12.736). Children with ASD had lower gross motor skills compared to typically developing children. Gross motor impairments were found in 20% of the ASD children, and these children also had lower socialization skills than those without gross motor impairments.