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Do Planning and Visual Integration Difficulties Underpin Motor Dysfunction in Autism? A Kinematic Study of Young Children with Autism

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Abstract

This paper examines the upper-limb movement kinematics of young children (3–7 years) with high-functioning autism using a point-to-point movement paradigm. Consistent with prior findings in older children, a difference in movement preparation was found in the autism group (n = 11) relative to typically developing children. In contrast to typically developing children, the presence of a visual distractor in the movement task did not appear to impact on early movement planning or execution in children with autism, suggesting that this group were not considering all available environmental cues to modulate movement. The findings from this study are consistent with the possibility that autism is associated with a difficulty using visual information to prime alternative movements in a responsive way to environmental demands.

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Notes

  1. A slight departure and return to zero velocity within the start position was noted in all movements. This was found to result from the stylus ‘jerking’ when initially touched to the screen, and was not regarded as initiation of movement.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported through a Monash Graduate Scholarship held by the first author, in addition to a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC#436609 Motor functioning in autism and Asperger’s disorder: Furthering current neurobehavioral and clinical definitions). The authors gratefully acknowledge Christopher Dowd for preparing the touch screen task and analysis software, Autism Victoria, and the families and children who kindly gave their time to participate in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, 270 Ferntree Gully Road, Notting Hill, Melbourne, VIC, 3168, Australia

    Ariane M. Dowd & Nicole J. Rinehart

  2. Clinical Research Centre for Movement Disorders and Gait, Southern Health, Warrigal Road, Cheltenham, VIC, 3192, Australia

    Jennifer L. McGinley

  3. Physiotherapy Department, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia

    Jennifer L. McGinley

  4. Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia

    John R. Taffe

Authors
  1. Ariane M. Dowd
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  2. Jennifer L. McGinley
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  3. John R. Taffe
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  4. Nicole J. Rinehart
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Correspondence to Nicole J. Rinehart.

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Dowd, A.M., McGinley, J.L., Taffe, J.R. et al. Do Planning and Visual Integration Difficulties Underpin Motor Dysfunction in Autism? A Kinematic Study of Young Children with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 42, 1539–1548 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1385-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1385-8

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