Relationships Between Cultural Factors and Motor Abilities in Autistic and Non-Autistic Children

Autism and motor abilities have been found to be closely related. Culture affects motor development as well as various diagnostic criteria for an autism diagnosis, yet cultural factors are rarely considered in research and in clinical diagnostics. This study explored the relationship between cultural factors, characteristics of autism, and balance abilities in autistic (n = 16) and non-autistic (n = 28) children by utilizing a demographic survey, the Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd edition (SRS-2), and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) Balance subtest. A multiple linear regression model was used to analyze whether the relationship between autism characteristics and balance abilities still stands when cultural factors are considered, and to determine which cultural factors moderate the relationship. Moderation analyses with Holm-Bonferroni correction tested whether cultural factors altered the strength of the SRS-2 and MABC-2 balance association. The results of this study were consistent with previous research in that there is still a strong relationship between autism and balance abilities even when cultural factors are considered. The results further indicated that, in addition to autistic characteristics, age, gender/sex, and ethnic origin were statistically significant contributors to the multiple linear regression model. No significant moderation effects were detected, indicating consistency of the autism-balance relationship across cultural groups examined. In conclusion, cultural factors must be considered in autism research, as well as in the development and implementation of diagnostic and treatment protocols for autistic children.