Early gross motor skills predict the subsequent development of language in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Rachael Bedford, Andrew Pickles, Catherine Lord
PMID 26692550WHAT IT FOUND
In children with autism, later walking onset predicted slower language growth, but this link vanished once general motor ability and nonverbal IQ were accounted for.
Overall gross motor skills remained a significant predictor of language development.
Key findings
01Walking onset alone predicted language rate, but this effect was no longer significant after controlling for nonverbal IQ and autism symptoms.
02Gross motor ability significantly predicted the rate of language development even after accounting for walking onset, nonverbal IQ, and symptom severity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Walking onset was determined by retrospective parent report, which may miss the gradual nature of learning to walk. The measures used for nonverbal IQ and gross motor skills had floor effects, meaning they could not fully capture variability in children with lower abilities. The study design is observational, so it cannot prove that motor skills cause language development.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that teaching a child to walk earlier will improve their language. The study found that the link between walking age and language development disappeared when general motor ability and IQ were considered.