Atypical movement performance and sensory integration in Asperger's syndrome

The aims of this study were to investigate whether individuals with AS have impaired motor abilities and sensorimotor processing and whether these impairments were age-related. Sensorimotor abilities were examined using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2, and the Sensory Integration Praxis Test. Fifty boys with AS aged 7-14 years old were compared with typically developing boys. Overall, children with AS showed significant impairment of movement performance as well as proprioceptive and vestibular processing. There were no interaction effects of age and clinical group on level of performance deficit in any of the modalities tested. Increasing our understanding of motor and sensory impairment in AS could have treatment implications for those supporting individuals with AS.