Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Author Spotlight: Exploring Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms in Fruit Flies — Genetic Models and Behavioral Tests
08:30

Author Spotlight: Exploring Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms in Fruit Flies — Genetic Models and Behavioral Tests

Published on: September 6, 2024

2.6K

Walking Ability is Associated with Social Communication Skills in Infants at High Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Jessica Bradshaw1, Cheryl Klaiman1, Scott Gillespie1

  • 1Marcus Autism Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine.

Infancy : the Official Journal of the International Society on Infant Studies
|October 2, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Early walking in high-risk infants may boost social-communication skills, unlike in typically developing babies. Motor milestones can signal developmental delays and guide interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Motor and social deficits are early indicators in infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
  • Early motor milestones are crucial for developing social interaction and communication skills in infants.
  • Infant siblings of children with ASD are at heightened risk for developmental delays.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between motor skills (walking ability) and social-communication development in 12-month-old infants at high and low risk for ASD.
  • To compare social-communication and cognitive skills across different walking groups (walkers, standers, pre-walkers) in high-risk and low-risk infants.

Main Methods:

  • Study included 86 high-risk infants (siblings of children with ASD) and 113 low-risk, typically developing infants.
  • Infants were categorized into walkers, standers, or pre-walkers based on independent mobility.
  • Social-communication and cognitive skills were assessed using the Communication and Symbolic Behaviors Scales (CSBS) and Mullen Scales of Early Learning.

Main Results:

  • High-risk infants who could walk independently demonstrated superior social-communication skills compared to high-risk pre-walkers.
  • Cognitive skills were comparable between high-risk walkers and pre-walkers.
  • In low-risk infants, social-communication and cognitive skills were similar across walking statuses.

Conclusions:

  • Independent walking in high-risk infants may promote the development of social-communication abilities.
  • Motor milestones, such as walking, can serve as early indicators of potential social-communication delays in infants.
  • Targeting motor development may be a viable intervention strategy for improving social-communication skills in at-risk infants.

Keywords:
autism spectrum disorderearly identificationmotor developmentsocial-communicationwalking

More Related Videos

Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder09:13

Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 22, 2015

17.2K
A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential ERP Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder08:17

A Semantic Priming Event-related Potential ERP Task to Study Lexico-semantic and Visuo-semantic Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 12, 2018

11.2K

Related Concept Videos

Autism Spectrum Disorder01:19

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction alongside restrictive and repetitive behaviors or interests. ASD is sometimes accompanied by intellectual impairment.
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.
1.2K
Factors Influencing Attraction V: Social Skills01:29

Factors Influencing Attraction V: Social Skills

Social skills play a crucial role in shaping interpersonal interactions and enhancing individuals' ability to navigate various social environments successfully. These skills contribute to personal and professional success, influencing how others perceive and treat individuals. High social skills provide distinct advantages in numerous settings, including romantic relationships, politics, and legal proceedings. In courtroom settings, for instance, defendants who exhibit strong social skills are...
790
Social Anxiety Disorder01:28

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is characterized by an intense fear of social situations where one might face humiliation, rejection, embarrassment, or negative evaluation. This disorder leads individuals to avoid activities like casual conversations, public speaking, or seemingly simple tasks such as eating, signing documents, or swimming, in public settings. Its impact extends beyond discomfort, often significantly interfering with daily functioning and quality of life.
528
Social Foundations of Self IV: Self in Digital Communication01:30

Social Foundations of Self IV: Self in Digital Communication

Since the early 2000s, computer-mediated communication (CMC) has grown rapidly, playing a crucial role in self-development. A key distinction between CMC and real-life interactions is the lack of a physically present partner. This absence makes non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, body language, and paralinguistic signals unavailable in CMC platforms like email, instant messaging, or social media. The lack of these cues can create ambiguity and complicate how feedback is interpreted.The...
204
Social Scripts02:10

Social Scripts

People tend to know what behavior is expected of them in specific, familiar settings. A script is a person’s knowledge about the sequence of events expected in a specific setting (Schank & Abelson, 1977). Essentially, scripts are a particular kind of schema, one containing default values for the features within an event. In the restaurant example, the script's features include the props (e.g., tables, menu, food, and money), the roles to be played (e.g., customer and waiter),...
10.3K
The Electromagnetic Spectrum02:37

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

The electromagnetic spectrum consists of all the types of electromagnetic radiation arranged according to their frequency and wavelength. Each of the various colors of visible light has specific frequencies and wavelengths associated with them, and you can see that visible light makes up only a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because the technologies developed to work in various parts of the electromagnetic spectrum are different, for reasons of convenience and historical...
65.3K