A further study of relations between motor impairment and social communication, cognitive, language, functional impairments, and repetitive behavior severity in children with ASD using the SPARK study dataset.
Anjana N Bhat, Aaron J Boulton, David S Tulsky
PMID 35357764WHAT IT FOUND
In 13,887 children with autism, parent-reported motor problems were worse when social communication, repetitive behavior, cognitive, language, or daily-living difficulties were greater.
Writing, cutting, ball skills, and coordination problems were most linked to those difficulties.
Key findings
01In the final sample of 13,887 children with ASD, 88.2% were at risk for motor impairment on the parent questionnaire.
02Motor scores worsened as social communication and repetitive behavior severity increased, and also worsened as cognitive, language, and functional delays increased.
03Fine-motor problems, especially writing and cutting, were most linked to cognitive and language delay; ball skills, motor planning, and fine-motor problems were linked to functional delay.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
All data were parent-reported, so parents' perceptions may have influenced motor and impairment ratings. This was a questionnaire analysis, not a clinical motor examination; the DCD-Q flags risk but does not diagnose motor impairment. The study reports associations, not intervention effects, so it cannot show that treating motor problems improves social, language, cognitive, or functional outcomes. The sample was mostly White (~76%), so patterns may not apply equally across all groups. Some DCD-Q items, especially reverse-worded items about clumsiness and fatigue, were less reliable and weakly linked to impairments.
Declared interests
The article is listed as NIH extramural supported; the authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these results as proof that treating motor problems will improve social, language, cognitive, or functional outcomes. The study used parent-reported screening scores and only showed associations, not intervention effects.