The relationship between motor function and visual perception in school-aged children with neurodevelopmental disorders

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Motor function and visual perception are key areas of occupational performance skills in which children with neurodevelopmental disorders have deficits that affect their daily activities and tasks, such as writing. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between motor function and visual perception in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and explore differences in performance between the groups. Methodology: We reviewed the file records of 60 school-aged children (51 boys/9 girls), 30 with ASD (M = 8.53 years) and 30 with ADHD (M = 8.42 years), derived from a university Child Psychiatry Department and including assessments in visual perception (Developmental test of Visual Perception- DTVP-2) and motor function (Movement ABC2- M-ABC2). Results: Results indicated a significant correlation between total motor function performance scores and visual-motor integration categories in children with ASD (r(28)=.70, p<.001) and ADHD (r(28)=.40, p=.03). Manual dexterity and balance were found to predict performance on visual-motor integration in both ASD (F (2,27)=10.94, p<.001) and ADHD (F(1,28)=8.45, p=.007). Children with ASD performed lower than ADHD children in the categories of Aiming and Catching (p=.032) and Balance (p<.001). Conclusions: The findings of the present study highlight the interrelationships between motor function and visual perception as it is manifested in children with ASD and ADHD at school age. In-depth knowledge of how motor function relates to visual perception offers valuable insights, therapeutically and research-wise, to enhance participation in daily activities of children with neurodevelopmental disorders.