Motor Impairment Increases in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder as a Function of Social Communication, Cognitive and Functional Impairment, Repetitive Behavior Severity, and Comorbid Diagnoses: A SPARK Study Report.
Anjana N Bhat
PMID 33300285WHAT IT FOUND
In children with autism, the risk of motor impairment rises alongside social, cognitive, and functional difficulties.
The risk also increases with comorbid diagnoses like ADHD or intellectual disability. This suggests motor issues are pervasive and linked to overall severity.
Key findings
0188.2% of the children with ASD in this sample were at risk for motor impairment, a relative risk 22.2 times higher than the general population.
02The risk for motor impairment increased as social communication, repetitive behavior, cognitive, and functional impairments became more severe, with functional impairment showing the largest increase in risk.
03Children with ASD who also had comorbid diagnoses such as ADHD, intellectual disability, or DCD showed an increased risk for motor impairment compared to those without these comorbidities.
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
The study relied entirely on parent-reported questionnaires, which can introduce bias if parents rate all aspects of their child's behavior similarly. Motor skills were assessed broadly, so specific deficits in areas like balance or visuo-motor coordination could not be distinguished. The online recruitment method may have biased the sample toward families with higher incomes or those living in urban areas.
Declared interests
The author reported no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this study proves that treating motor skills will directly improve social or cognitive outcomes. It is an observational analysis showing that motor impairment risk increases alongside these other difficulties, but it does not test whether intervention on motor skills changes the trajectory of ASD symptoms.