Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 19, 2025
Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 22, 2015
Early Motor Function of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review
Yi Huey Lim1, Melissa Licari1, Alicia J Spittle2,3,4
1Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
Insights
Early motor impairments are detectable in children later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Further research is needed to confirm if motor function deficits can serve as an early indicator for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) risk.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Early motor impairments are observed in children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD).
- The potential of early motor assessments to identify NDD risk remains unclear.
- The earliest detection window for these motor deficits is not well-defined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize early motor function in children later diagnosed with NDD.
- To compare motor function in NDD-diagnosed children against typically developing peers and normative data.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining motor function in infants (0-24 months) with later NDD diagnoses.
- Searches conducted across major scientific databases including CINAHL, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, and Scopus.
- Quality assessment of included studies using a standardized checklist.
Main Results:
- Twenty-five studies were included, predominantly focusing on autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- Early motor impairments were identified in children later diagnosed with ASD.
- Motor function deficits in ASD compared to typically developing children increased with age, affecting fine, gross, and generalized motor skills.
Conclusions:
- Early motor impairments are evident in children who later receive an ASD diagnosis.
- The clinical utility of detecting motor impairments as a transdiagnostic marker for NDD risk requires further investigation.
- Findings may not generalize to NDDs not included in this review.
Context:
Early motor impairments have been reported in children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), but it is not clear if early detection of motor impairments can identify children at risk for NDD or how early such impairments might be detected.
Objective:
To characterize early motor function in children later diagnosed with NDD relative to typically developing children or normative data.
Data Sources:
The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, and Scopus electronic databases were searched.
Study Selection:
Eligible studies were required to include an examination of motor function in children (0-24 months) with later diagnosis of NDD by using standardized assessment tools.
Data Extraction:
Data were extracted by 4 independent researchers. The quality of the studies was assessed by using the Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research Papers from a Variety of Fields checklist.
Results:
Twenty-five studies were included in this review; in most of the studies, the authors examined children with later autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Early motor impairments were detected in children later diagnosed with ASD. The meta-analysis results indicated that differences in fine, gross, and generalized motor functions between the later ASD and typically developing groups increased with age. Motor function across different NDD groups was found to be mixed.
Limitations:
Results may not be applicable to children with different types of NDD not reported in this review.
Conclusions:
Early motor impairments are evident in children later diagnosed with ASD. More research is needed to ascertain the clinical utility of motor impairment detection as an early transdiagnostic marker of NDD risk.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Autism Spectrum Disorder
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.
01:26Modeling in Therapy
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in...