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Updated: Jun 15, 2025
Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 22, 2015
Impaired motor and social skill development in infancy predict high autistic traits in toddlerhood
Wenjuan Xiong1, Xinyu Li1, Xiaoqing Huang1
1Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescence Health, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Insights
Impaired fine motor and social behaviors in infancy may signal higher autistic traits in the general population. Early identification of these developmental differences is crucial for timely intervention in children.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Pediatric behavioral science
- Early childhood development
Background:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder requiring early diagnosis for effective intervention.
- While high-risk infant studies identify ASD cues, general population applicability remains unclear.
- Analogous studies in the general infant population are needed to identify early warning signs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential warning traits of ASD in the general infant population.
- To determine if early fine motor and social behaviors predict later autistic traits.
- To explore the utility of infant behaviors in the auxiliary diagnosis of higher autistic traits.
Main Methods:
- A nested case-control study was conducted in Tianjin, China (June 2019 - November 2022).
- Included 76 general infants assessed with neurodevelopmental evaluation, CHAT-23 screening, and eye-tracking tasks.
- Analyzed correlations between infant social behavior, fine motor skills, and toddler CHAT-23 scores.
Main Results:
- Infant social behavior quotient negatively correlated with toddler CHAT-23 scores.
- Infant social behavior quotient positively correlated with initiating joint attention in toddlers.
- High infant fine motor and social behavior quotients were associated with decreased risk of high CHAT-23 scores.
Conclusions:
- Impaired fine motor and social behavior development in infancy are potential early warning signs for higher autistic traits in the general population.
- Infant social behavior, and the combination of fine motor and social behavior, can aid in the auxiliary diagnosis of autistic traits.
- These findings highlight the importance of monitoring early motor and social development for identifying infants at risk.
Abstract:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Early diagnosis in the critical period is important for ASD children. Recent studies of neurodevelopmental behavioral features and joint attention in high-risk infants showed there are some special cues which can distinguish ASD from typical development infant. But the findings of high-risk population may not be applicable to the general population. It is necessary to "analogically" study the potential warning traits of ASD in infancy in the general population. We did a nested case-control study from June 2019 to November 2022 in Tianjin, China, including 76 general infants whom completed the neurodevelopmental evaluation, the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers-23 (CHAT-23) screening, and eye tracking task. Social behavior quotient in infancy was negatively correlated to CHAT-23 total scores in toddlerhood. Social behavior quotient in infancy was positively correlated to initiating joint attention in toddlerhood. Regression model showed that high fine motor scale and social behaviour scale quotient in infancy were associated with an decreased risk of the total score of CHAT-23 ≥ 2 in toddlerhood. The Receiver operating characteristic curve showed the social behaviour in infancy alone and the combination of fine motor and social behaviour in infancy contributed to auxiliary diagnosis of higher level of autistic traits in toddlerhood. These findings suggest that Impaired development of fine motor and social behavior in infancy are potential warning features of high autistic traits in general population.
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