Examining Transdiagnostic Patterns of Motor Differences: Preliminary Findings From the Consortium for Motor Behavior in Neurodivergence (COMBINE).
Nicholas E Fears, Priscila M Tamplain, Haylie L Miller
PMID 41014412WHAT IT FOUND
Across 262 children with autism, ADHD, DCD or CAS, 77% scored in the clinical range for motor impairment.
DCD predicted lower total scores, while ADHD predicted higher total and balance scores. Autistic children had lower aiming and catching scores, and girls had lower aiming scores.
Key findings
0177% of the sample scored in the Red Zone for motor impairment, indicating DCD is likely.
02A diagnosis of DCD predicted lower total motor scores, while a diagnosis of ADHD predicted higher total motor scores.
03Autism diagnosis and being assigned female at birth both predicted lower scores in the Aiming & Catching domain.
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
This is a preliminary analysis of a new dataset, so sample sizes for specific co-occurring diagnoses were small. Data came from sites with extensive experience administering these tests, which may not reflect variability in administration quality in other settings. Diagnoses were binary (present/absent), which does not capture the severity or dimensionality of neurodevelopmental traits. The study did not include a comparison group of typically developing children, so it cannot determine how these scores compare to the general population.
Declared interests
The authors are Principal Investigators for the COMBINE consortium but declared no financial interests related to this role or the data presented.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the higher motor scores in the ADHD group as evidence that ADHD protects against motor difficulties. The authors note that more than 80% of children with ADHD in this sample still had significant motor challenges, despite having higher scores than those without ADHD.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →