Motor and socio-cognitive mechanisms explaining peers' synchronization of joint action across development in autistic and non-autistic children.
Roni Poyas Naharan, Yael Estrugo, Shahar Bar Yehuda and 1 others
PMID 40138466WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic children showed weaker motor and social-cognitive skills than non-autistic peers across ages 6 to 16.
Motor and social-cognitive skills together were linked to peer movement coordination.
Key findings
01Autistic children scored lower than non-autistic children on observed motor tasks.
02Autistic children scored lower than non-autistic children on mother-rated theory-of-mind items.
03Motor and theory-of-mind scores accounted for the difference between autistic and non-autistic children in peer coordination.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study did not test an intervention, so it cannot show that improving motor or theory-of-mind skills improves coordination. The sample was divided into three age groups, which may have reduced the ability to detect some developmental effects. The sample was not large enough to add age to the coordination model. Only children with average IQ were included, so findings may not apply to children with lower IQ. Sex differences were not examined. The design was cross-sectional, so it cannot show true developmental trajectories.
Declared interests
The research was supported by the Israel Science Foundation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that improving motor or social-cognitive skills will improve peer coordination. The study did not test an intervention, and it cannot show that changing either skill changes coordination.