Motor challenges in children with autism spectrum disorder
Writer: Emily Singer
What are the most common motor challenges in children with autism spectrum disorder?
This new study describes the most common motor challenges that children with autism spectrum disorder face in daily life. New studies have found that common motor challenges in children with autism spectrum disorder include difficulties with balance and motor coordination. as This study found that more than 80%, or 8 out of 10, of the children with autism spectrum disorder in the current study had motor challenges.
Motor challenges can include:
- Throwing or catching the ball
- Writing
- getting dressed
- Planning and coordinating complex movements
This study also indicated that motor challenges may not decrease with age.
Data were collected in this study on approximately 12,000 SPARK participants, ranging in age from 5 to 15 years.
In this study, the need for early intervention to screen children diagnosed with ASD for motor impairments so that they can receive intervention for appropriate treatment was highlighted in this study.
Anjana Bhatt says, The person responsible for managing the current study is a physical therapy researcher at the University of Delaware: “Failure to recognize motor problems in children with autism spectrum disorder may increase the likelihood that the child will remain without appropriate diagnosis or treatment.”
In the current study, The researchers analyzed data results on a questionnaire form designed for parents to examine coordination problems in motor performance in children with autism spectrum disorder. This questionnaire takes 10 minutes to complete and can accurately predict whether children have a movement problem that needs to be diagnosed by a doctor.
Although 87% of children are likely to have some motor problem, However, only about 30% of children received physical therapy. Bhatt says there are many children with autism spectrum disorder who may not receive adequate attention to their motor problems due to “lack of access to physical therapy and appropriate intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder.”
In this study, most children received other types of services, including: Speech and language therapy, And occupational therapy. These services have helped with sensory processing and fine motor skills for children with autism spectrum disorder, but they may not address motor problems such as, Running and playing other activities.
Previous research has shown that many children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder also have some motor challenges. However, motor challenges are not part of the diagnostic criteria used by doctors to diagnose autism spectrum disorder.
Bhatt says the study results indicate that motor problems should be included among the diagnostic criteria in the future.
Scientifically, Bhatt says improving motor skill coordination is important for a variety of skills. As many skills are related to motor coordination. like:
- Looking at people
- And pointing to things
- Playing with peers
- High motor activity
As all of these skills related to motor coordination are important for the development of the child’s social environment.
Bhatt says: “It is important to stay away from play that does not require motor coordination activities and motor challenges. Therefore, we should move towards whole-body activities that require motor coordination and high physical activity.”
Therefore, parents and specialists must include various activities in play, such as yoga, And martial arts to enhance social communication and cognitive/behavioral and motor skills in children with autism spectrum disorder.”
Reference:
SPARK for Autism | Motor Challenges are Common in Autism, SPARK Study Confirms