Actual Motor Research Articles

Relationships Among Perceived and Actual Motor Skill Competence and Physical Activity in Indonesian Preschoolers

This study examined the feasibility of recruiting and collecting data of Indonesian preschooler’s fundamental motor skill (FMS) competence, perceived motor competence, and physical activity in school. A secondary purpose was to explore the relationship among perceived motor competence, FMS competence, school day physical activity behaviors, playground physical activity behaviors, and sex of Indonesian preschoolers from urban and rural environments. Preschoolers (N = 66;n = 35 rural,n = 31 urban) were evaluated on the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence (PMSC), Perceived Physical Competence subscale (PPC). FMS competence was evaluated using the Test of Gross Motor Development-3. Three-day accelerometry at school yielded percent of school day and percent of playground time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behaviors. Children spent 80% of the school day in sedentary behavior and 7% in MVPA. There were sex differences (p < .05) in ball skills favoring boys, and location differences on sedentary playground behaviors (p < .05) with rural children being more sedentary. Children felt “pretty good” about their motor skills (3.29–3.46) on the PPC and PMSC. Regression analyses revealed that location and locomotor skills predicted 13.8% of playground sedentary behaviors; PPC and locomotor skills explained 13.3% of MVPA on the playground; and ball skills predicted 7.7% of PPC. These findings emphasize the need for early motor skill and physical activity interventions and highlight the importance of perceived motor competence.

Layered and Real-Valued Negative Selection Algorithm for Fault Detection

In this paper, the challenging task of the development of a generic fault detection (FD) method is addressed. While the past FD research has primarily focused on modeling and signal-processing methods that are problem specific and require complete knowledge of the system model and fault types, this paper presents a novel layered and real-valued negative-selection algorithm (LRNSA)-based FD method independent of prior knowledge of fault types and patterns. Specifically, in the training phase, the nonself-space is divided into different layers for effective generation and distribution of detectors using normal (self) data. The major accomplishments of the proposed method are improved nonself-space coverage of the uncovered gaps (holes), followed by the formation of cluster detector with large radius. To test the capabilities of the developed method, the generated specialized detector distribution is studied using bearing fault modeling in a three-phase induction motor. The proposed method is subsequently investigated and validated by applying it to an actual induction motor for different types of bearing faults. Finally, the comparative results on the benchmark dataset demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method compared to the state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms in terms of higher FD accuracy and quick detection with reduced online detection time.

Stator Slitting of 12-Slot 10-Pole Concentrated Winding Motors

This paper proposes a design method of stator cores to modify the component ratio of space harmonics in the magnetic field due to stator windings for 12-slot 10-pole concentrated winding motors. The method inserts slit-like magnetic flux barriers in stator wound teeth. In fractional-slot concentrated winding motors, the magnetic field due to stator windings includes dominant space harmonics with a specific space harmonic that produces drive torque. These space harmonics give rise to undesirable effects that increase iron loss in cores and eddy-current loss in magnets. For 12-slot 10-pole motors with single-layer windings, the proposed method increases the driving space harmonic and decreases dominant detrimental space harmonics. This modification of the space harmonics leads to torque enhancement and efficiency improvement. The efficacy of the proposed method is determined by deriving the winding factor, estimating magnetic flux distribution and motor performance through a finite element method analysis, and demonstrating the actual motor performance of a prototype.

Influence of Sports Camps and Vision on Perceived Motor Competence in Children and Adolescents who Are Visually Impaired

Introduction Children with visual impairments (that is, those who have low vision or blindness) often demonstrate lower levels of perceived and actual motor competence and physical activity compared to peers who are sighted. The purpose of this study was to assess the way in which seven-day sports camps specially designed for children with visual impairments affected perceived motor competence as compared to a control condition. Methods Children with visual impairments (N = 79), ages 9 to 19 years (M = 12.71, SD = 2.38) completed either the Self-Perception Profile for Children (ages 9 to 13 years) or the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents (ages 14 to 19 years) two to three times at two summer camps or at a school for blind students. Two separate 3 (group) × 4 (vision) ANOVAs assessed pretest and posttest differences for perceived motor competence. A 3 (group) × 2 (time) × 4 (vision) repeated-measures ANOVA examined the effects of camp on perceived motor competence from pretest to posttest. Paired samples t-tests were conducted to reveal if levels of perceived motor competence remained stable from posttest to maintenance. Results Camp and control groups revealed nonsignificant and similar levels of perceived motor competence at the pretest. By the end of camp one, children improved their perceived motor competence to a much greater and significant degree than did those in the control condition. Similar effects occurred for those who enrolled at camp two, and those participants also revealed significantly greater gains than did those in the control group. A small subsample maintained their gains six weeks after camp one, while control children also remained stable with no change after six weeks. Discussion Children's perceived motor competence can be improved through accessible sports camps. This finding is important, since this measure powerfully associates with physical activity. Implications for practitioners Physical education teachers can model camp conditions to benefit perceived motor competence throughout the academic year.

How Well Can Family Childcare Providers Report on Preschoolers' Motor Skill Competence?

Assessing children's movement skill competence objectively is resource and time intensive. Family childcare providers (FCCPs) are with young children for most of a normal weekday and may have an understanding of their motor skill competence. This study examined how well FCCPs can report on preschoolers' motor skills. Seventy-eight 3-5 year olds (53.1% girls) from 26 FCCPs participated. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2 assessed actual motor skill competence and a survey assessed preschoolers' motor competence as reported by FCCPs. Bivariate correlations examined associations between actual and FCCPs' proxy-report of preschoolers' motor skill competence. Regression models tested the predictive power of FCCPs' proxy-report on actual preschoolers' motor skill competence, accounting for age and sex. There were moderate significant correlations for locomotion (r = .30), object control (r = .38), and overall motor skill competence (r = .36). The regression models showed proxy report was statistically associated with preschoolers' object control skills (β = .78, p = .011) and overall motor skills (β = .72, p = .022), but not locomotor skills (β = .52, p = .084). FCCPs' proxy-report of preschoolers' motor skill competence explained 20.9, and 20.1% of preschoolers' variance in object control, and overall motor skill competence, respectively after adjusting for biological sex and age (increasing). FCCPs may be used as an alternative source of information in reporting young children's actual motor skill competence, at least for the object control domain. There is an opportunity for education of FCCPs regarding children's locomotor skill development.

Corticospinal Excitability During Actual and Imaginary Motor Tasks of Varied Difficulty

The present study examined corticospinal excitability of the contralateral and ipsilateral hemispheres during actual (ACT) and imaginary (IMG) unilateral hand force-matching tasks of different difficulty. Seventeen young male adults (21.2 ± 2.2 yrs) actually and imaginarily matched their left index finger abduction force to a displayed target force. Task difficulty was manipulated by varying the acceptable force range about each mean target force (5 and 15% MVC for ACT, 15% MVC for IMG). Specifically, easy (EASY) and difficult (DIFF) tasks were assigned an acceptable force range of ±7% and ±0% of target force, respectively. Single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied to the both hemispheres in ACT and over the left hemisphere in IMG. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were collected from the first dorsal interosseous muscle during tasks. In ACT, MEPs in both the contracting and resting hands were significantly larger (P < 0.05) during DIFF than EASY when collapsed across target force levels. In IMG, MEPs in the resting right hand were significantly larger (P < 0.05) during DIFF than during EASY. The relative change in MEP amplitude in the right hand from EASY to DIFF in ACT was positively correlated (r = 0.63) with that in IMG. These results indicate that greater task difficulty increases corticospinal excitability of the contralateral hemisphere in ACT, and increases corticospinal excitability of the ipsilateral hemisphere in both ACT and IMG. The relative changes in corticospinal excitability of the ipsilateral hemisphere with increasing task difficulty are correlated between ACT and IMG.

Can a teacher-led RCT improve adolescent girls’ physical self-perception and perceived motor competence?

ABSTRACTPerceived and actual motor competence (MC) influence physical activity (PA) behaviour. Notably, both are lower in girls than in boys. This study aimed to investigate (i) whether a 12-week, teacher-led intervention that improves actual MC (Lander, N., Morgan, P. J., Salmon, J., & Barnett, L. M. (2017). Improving early-adolescent girls’ motor skill: A cluster randomized controlled trial. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 49(12), 2498–2505) could also improve adolescent girls’ physical self-perception and perceived MC, and (ii) whether change in actual MC is associated with post-intervention perceptions A randomized controlled trial with 171 girls (mean age 12.48 ± 0.34 years), measured perception (i.e., physical self-perception profile (PSPP) and pictorial scale of perceived movement skill competence (PMSC)) and actual MC (i.e., Victorian FMS Teachers’ Assessment Manual). Mixed models with post-intervention perception as the outcome, adjusting for baseline perception, group, and change in actual MC, as well as clustering, were performed. An interaction term between change in MC and intervention status was included to test the secondary aim. There were significant intervention effects on girls’ physical self-perception as well as their perceived MC. However, there was no association between change in actual MC across the intervention and post intervention perception. While the intervention improved both actual MC and perceived MC, they were not associated.

Considerations Related to the Definition, Measurement and Analysis of Perceived Motor Competence.

The promotion of motor competence is integral to a holistic view of children's development. Motor development models address the potential role of actual and perceived motor competence, physical activity and health-related fitness in children's health. Actual motor competence and optimal levels of perceived motor competence seem to be key for engaging children and adolescents in physical activity and sports. Commonly, the assessment of perceived motor competence is carried out by using instruments originally developed to assess different constructs of physical self-perception with the consequent error assumed. The aim of this article is to therefore offer clarification regarding the concept of perceived motor competence in terms of the conceptual and theoretical framework used for its explanation. A hierarchical and multidimensional structure of global self-concept is proposed with perceived motor competence considered as a subdomain of perceived sport/athletic competence (depending on the age or stage of development of the child) and subdivided into different subdomains of perceived competence in stability, locomotion, object control and active play skills. In order to improve consistency in the approach to assessment, it is desirable that researchers report an agreed definition for the construct of perceived motor competence so that readers can recognise the assumptions within the study accurately. Furthermore, it is suggested that instruments characterised by an alignment between actual and perceived motor competence assessments will help us understand more about children's motor perceptions.

A comparison of parent report and actual motor competence in young children.

Parent proxy reports are well used in occupational therapy, yet historically parent report instruments of motor skill have not required parents to report on the same motor skills that their children are assessed on. The aim was to examine how well a parent report of children's fundamental movement skill (FMS) was associated with children's actual FMS. A sample of 100 children aged 7-9years from Melbourne, Australia, were recruited. Parents/guardians completed proxy report (parent version of the 'Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence' (PMSC)) and children's actual motor skills were assessed ('Test of Gross Motor Development' 3rd edition (TGMD-3)). Data were first analysed using Pearson's correlation coefficients and then hierarchical linear stepwise regression was conducted with actual skill as the outcome variable in each model. The PMSC-Parent (r=0.36, P<0.001) was moderately associated with children's actual skill. After age and sex adjustment, the PMSC-Parent explained 11.4% of variance in total skills. Parent report of their children's object control scores (PMSC object control scale) was significantly associated with children's actual object control (B=0.36, P<0.001) and explained 11.3% of the variance. Parent report of children's locomotion scores (PMSC locomotion scale) was associated with children's actual locomotor skills (B=0.27, P=0.007) and explained 6.2% of the variance. Parents are able to report to some degree on their children's FMS competency, in particular, their object control competence. Parent proxy report of FMS may help inform occupational therapists to identify children with low FMS competency to develop interventions targeting FMS.

Children's Self-Perceived and Actual Motor Competence in Relation to Their Peers.

Motor skill competence enables children to move with efficiency and confidence in a variety of physically challenging situations. A child who lacks motor skill competence may be less inclined to take part in physical activities in which his or her peers excel. In this regard, the development of motor competence and children’s perception of their motor abilities may play an important role in ensuring sufficiently physically active adults. To better understand the role of motor competence in children’s participation in physical activity, this study examined children’s perception of their motor competence in comparison to others with their actual motor competence. Data were collected from 1031 children in grades 3, 4, 5, and 6 and between the ages of 8 to 12 years from elementary and junior schools. Using the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (CAPL) protocols, physical competence and perceived physical competence were obtained from the Canadian Agility and Movement Skill Assessment and the CAPL questionnaire, respectively. Results from this study support previous research as children’s ability to accurately perceive their motor competence increased with age/grade. Still, over half of the participants in this study were not able to accurately perceive their motor competence. In addition, as grade increased from 3 to 6, children over-estimated their abilities less and underestimated their abilities more. This lack of ability to accurately estimate their abilities may be impacting children’s level of physical activity and should be addressed when promoting physical activity.

Multiband tangent space mapping and feature selection for classification of EEG during motor imagery

Objective. When designing multiclass motor imagery-based brain–computer interface (MI-BCI), a so-called tangent space mapping (TSM) method utilizing the geometric structure of covariance matrices is an effective technique. This paper aims to introduce a method using TSM for finding accurate operational frequency bands related brain activities associated with MI tasks. Approach. A multichannel electroencephalogram (EEG) signal is decomposed into multiple subbands, and tangent features are then estimated on each subband. A mutual information analysis-based effective algorithm is implemented to select subbands containing features capable of improving motor imagery classification accuracy. Thus obtained features of selected subbands are combined to get feature space. A principal component analysis-based approach is employed to reduce the features dimension and then the classification is accomplished by a support vector machine (SVM). Main results. Offline analysis demonstrates the proposed multiband tangent space mapping with subband selection (MTSMS) approach outperforms state-of-the-art methods. It acheives the highest average classification accuracy for all datasets (BCI competition dataset 2a, IIIa, IIIb, and dataset JK-HH1). Significance. The increased classification accuracy of MI tasks with the proposed MTSMS approach can yield effective implementation of BCI. The mutual information-based subband selection method is implemented to tune operation frequency bands to represent actual motor imagery tasks.

The effect of synchronised metronome training: A case study in a single leg, below knee Paralympic sprinter.

BackgroundTo optimise sprint performance, one needs to understand how motor control affects motor performance. Researchers have proposed that the Dynamic Systems Theory be adopted for explaining motor performance, skill acquisition and the development of pedagogical methods. Within this theory, the individual is seen as a complex system that functions as the interaction of many sub-systems. Entrained movements would be characterised by optimal sequencing, timing and grading of muscle activation. One of the identified control parameters for running is the rhythm in the coordination pattern.ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were twofold: firstly to investigate whether 6 weeks of timing and rhythmicity training using the computer-based Interactive Metronome™ (IM™) system improves motor timing and rhythmicity, and secondly to investigate whether such effects of IM™ influence the kinematic variables of a sprint.MethodsThis study followed a semi-quantitative analysis case study approach using a Paralympic sprinter with a single below knee amputation participated in this study. Data for acceleration and maximal running velocity phases were collected using video recorders.Results and conclusionsAs found by previous research, the IM™ programme improved the motor timing and rhythmicity of the athlete. However, in contrast to previous research, only minimal improvements, non-significant improvements, were seen in the actual motor performance. This athlete was an older more established athlete and it is therefore recommended that these types of programmes should be followed by young participants in the more fundamental phases of their movement development, to show best results.

Understanding physical (in-) activity, overweight, and obesity in childhood: Effects of congruence between physical self-concept and motor competence

Both the physical self-concept and actual motor competence are important for healthy future physical activity levels and consequently decrease overweight and obesity in childhood. However, children scoring high on motor competence do not necessarily report high levels of physical self-concept and vice versa, resulting in respective (in-) accuracy also referred to as (non-) veridicality. This study examines whether children’s accuracy of physical self-concept is a meaningful predictive factor for their future physical activity. Motor competence, physical self-concept and physical activity were assessed in 3rd grade and one year later in 4th grade. Children’s weight status was categorized based on WHO recommendations. Polynomial regression with Response surface analyses were conducted with a quasi-DIF approach examining moderating weight status effects. Analyses revealed that children with higher motor competence levels and higher self-perceptions show greater physical activity. Importantly, children who perceive their motor competence more accurately (compared to less) show more future physical activity. This effect is strong for underweight and overweight/obese children, but weak for normal weight children. This study indicates that an accurate self-perception of motor competence fosters future physical activity beyond single main effects, respectively. Hence, the promotion of actual motor competence should be linked with the respective development of accurate self-knowledge.

Posture-Motor and Posture-Ideomotor Dual-Tasking: A Putative Marker of Psychomotor Retardation and Depressive Rumination in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder.

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated that the assessment of postural performance may be a potentially reliable and objective marker of the psychomotor retardation (PMR) in the major depressive disorder (MDD). One of the important facets of MDD-related PMR is reflected in disrupted central mechanisms of psychomotor control, heavily influenced by compelling maladaptive depressive rumination. In view of this we designed a research paradigm that included sequential execution of simple single-posture task followed by more challenging divided attention posture tasks, involving concurring motor and ideomotor workloads. Another difficulty dimension assumed executing of all the tasks with eyes open (EO) (easy) and closed (EC) (difficult) conditions. We aimed at investigating the interplay between the severity of MDD, depressive rumination, and efficiency of postural performance.Methods: Compared with 24 age- and body mass index-matched healthy controls (HCs), 26 patients with MDD sequentially executed three experimental tasks: (1) single-posture task of maintaining a quiet stance (ST), (2) actual posture-motor dual task (AMT); and (3) mental/imaginary posture-motor dual task (MMT). All the tasks were performed in the EO and the EC conditions. The primary dependent variable was the amount of kinetic energy (E) expended for the center of pressure deviations (CoPDs), whereas the absolute divided attention cost index showed energy cost to the dual-tasking vs. the single-posture task according to the formula: ΔE = (EDual-task - ESingle-task).Results: The signs of PMR in the MDD group were objectively indexed by deficient posture control in the EC condition along with overall slowness of fine motor and ideomotor activity. Another important and probably more challenging feature of the findings was that the posture deficit manifested in the ST condition was substantially and significantly attenuated in the MMT and AMT performance dual-tasking activity. A multiple linear regression analysis evidenced further that the dual-tasking energy cost (i.e., ΔE) significantly predicted clinical scores of severity of MDD and depressive rumination.Conclusion: The findings allow to suggest that execution of concurrent actual or imaginary fine motor task with closed visual input deallocates attentional resources from compelling maladaptive depressive rumination thereby attenuating severity of absolute dual-tasking energy costs for balance maintenance in patients with MDD.Significance: Quantitative assessment of PMR through measures of the postural performance in dual-tasking may be useful to capture the negative impact of past depressive episodes, optimize the personalized treatment selection, and improve the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying MDD.

Motor Torque Fault Diagnosis for Four Wheel Independent Motor-Drive Vehicle Based on Unscented Kalman Filter

An motor torque fault diagnosis for four wheel independent motor-drive vehicle is presented in this paper. Focusing on the fault that the actual motor torques differ from the motor torques commanded by vehicle control unit, the fault parameters are introduced to represent the differences and a nonlinear vehicle dynamics model is built. This model considers vehicle body nonlinear dynamics, wheel dynamics, and tire nonlinear characteristics, and the fault parameters are set to be the coefficients of motor torque commands. Then the motor fault diagnosis problem is converted to these fault parameters identification problem, and unscented Kalman filter is implemented to identify them in real time. With the road test data of a four wheel independent motor-drive vehicle, the fault diagnosis method is testified to be effective both in normal and extreme handling situations.

Self-Perceived and Actual Motor Competence in Young British Children.

Children's perception of their own motor competence is an important correlate of their actual motor competence. The current study is the first to examine this association in British children and the first to use both product and process measures of actual motor competence. A total of 258 children (139 boys and 119 girls; aged 4 to 7 years, Mean = 5.6, SD = .96) completed measures of self-perceived motor competence using the Pictorial Scale for Perceived Movement Competence in Young Children. Children were classified as "Low," "Medium," or "High" perceived competence based on tertile analysis. Actual motor competence was assessed with the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (a process measure) and a composite of 10-m sprint run time, standing long jump distance, and 1-kg seated medicine ball throw (collectively, a product measure). Data for process and product measures were analyzed using a 2 (sex) × 3 (high, medium, low perceived competence) analysis of covariance, with body mass index, calculated from height and mass, and age controlled. Boys obtained significantly higher scores than girls for both the process ( p = .044) and product ( p = .001) measures of actual motor competence. Boys had significantly ( p = .04) higher scores for perceived competence compared to girls. Compared to children classified as medium and high self-perceived competence, children classified as low self-perceived competence had lower process ( p = .001) and product scores (i.e., medium, p = .009 and high, p = .0001) of actual motor competence. Age ( p = .0001) and body mass index ( p = .0001) were significantly associated with product motor competence. Strategies to enhance actual motor competence may benefit children's self-perceived motor competence.

A Study on Learning Effects of Student Experiments Based on Motor Control Learning System

In the present paper, the transient responses are able to be observed from the actual motor by updating various programs and creating a user interface in addition to downsizing the conventional experiment system for portability and safety. As the results, in the newly developed experiment, the undergraduate students can visually and specifically learn the true behavior of actual motor control.

Energy conversion efficiency of feedback pulsing ratchet

Biomolecular motors are a big family of protein, and play a very important role in transporting the organelles within cells. They can also convert chemical energy into mechanical energy. In order to study the dynamic mechanism of molecular motors in depth, a great many of Brownian ratchet models such as double-temperature ratchet, feedback control ratchet, and hand-over-hand ratchet have been proposed. By investigating different kinds of ratchets, it is better to comprehend the directed transport of Brownian particles and obtain an insight into the transport process in biomedicine. Especially, the investigation of Brownian ratchets can also be used for improving the accurate drug delivery and effectively utilizing the medicine.Until now, the directed transport of ratchet has aoused the interest of researchers. It is found that a certain driving phase can lead to the current reversal of the underdamped ratchets in theory. A large number of experiments have shown that most of the biomolecular motors in cells are enzyme protein macromolecules and they can carry the “cargos” to implement the directed transport. Interestingly, molecular motors have high efficiency usually, and some of them can even reach an efficiency close to 100% in experiment. Nevertheless, it is found that the energy conversion of Brownian motors is low as indicated by calculating the rate between the effective work of particles and the input energy of ratchets. According to a comparison between the experimental results and theoretical analyses, it is well known that the efficiency of ratchets is still far from the actual motor efficiency measured experimentally. Therefore, how to increase the efficiency of molecular motor which is pulled by loads is still a very important research topic. Owing to the fact that the molecular motors are influenced by the cellular environment during the hydrolysis of ATP in the organism, the catalytic cycles of the coupled motor proteins are out of phase. This gives us an inspiration for establishing the corresponding feedback pulsing ratchet.Due to the effect of the feedback pulse on coupled ratchets, the directed transport character of pulsing ratchets when they drag loads is explored in the present work. And the directed transport, diffusion and energy conversion efficiency of coupled particles are discussed systematically. It can be observed that the directed transport of the feedback pulsing ratchets would be futher facilitated by adjusting suitable free length and coupling strength. Meanwhile, the energy conversion efficiency of coupled particles can obtain a maximum value under a certain free length and coupling strength. In particular, there is the current reversal in an evolutive cycle under a certain pulse. Moreover, the diffusion of coupled particles can be suppressed effectively by modulating the pulsing phase, thus the corresponding directed transport of pulsing ratchets can be facilitated. In addition, the energy conversion of feedback ratchets can also be improved if the load is appropriate. The current reserval obtained in this paper can be applied to the particle separation. On the other hand, these results provide some great experimental inspirations in the aspect of medical delivery.

Estimation of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine Performance for Pre-Design Using a Reluctance Network

Flexible and fast development processes are required to adapt to changing user and market requirements. This is also true for the design of electric machines. Typically, many different parameter setups like rotor and stator diameter, teeth width, and number of windings, have to evaluated until a suitable motor design is found. As performance estimation is often conducted using finite element analysis (FEA), which is computationally and time intensive, the process takes a long time. Reluctance networks (RNs), on the other hand, simplify the model description but are less accurate than FEA. The aim of this paper is to show that an RN might show larger deviations to the actual motor performance, but can be used in a pre-design step to limit the parameter domain for FEA simulations if the influence of parameter changes is predicted well. Analytical dependencies between motor geometry and model parameters are derived based on a simplified RN and validated using FEA.

Motor Imagery and Motor Coordination in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Similarities and Differences

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are composed by a variety of developmental deficits, such as problems in verbal communication and repetitive behaviours. Together with these social deficits, the recent literature has reported difficulties in motor coordination during the everyday life of children and adolescents with ASD. These motor deficits could be linked to a possible alteration of motor simulation processes in ASD but just a few studies attempted to directly compare motor imagery tasks and actual motor coordination within these disorders and specifically using the same task. In a recent study, the relationship between explicit motor imagery and motor execution has been investigated within the same experimental paradigm. The authors employed a spatial bimanual task called “circles-lines” task where participants are asked to draw with one hand (i.e., baseline), either hands (i.e., bimanual task) or try to imagine the movements with one hand while simultaneously draw with the other (i.e., imagery task). This task is a prototype of a complex bimanual skill and shows how these two processes can be studied together within the same paradigm. In particular, results of the study highlighted how motor imagery and motor coordination only partially follow the same path of development in ASD. Indeed, ASD participants showed much lower results in the motor imagery task in comparison to the performance in actual bimanual task, which was similar to the typically developed controls. In conclusion, the data show that motor imagery and actual coordination, even though interrelated processes which share similar brain areas, can be dissociated in ASD where development of spatial coordination consolidates earlier than motor imagery