ERIC Number: EJ1473528
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jun
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-3613
EISSN: EISSN-1461-7005
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Atypical Development of Sequential Manual Motor Planning and Visuomotor Integration in Children with Autism at Early School-Age: A Longitudinal Kinematic Study
Anna Bäckström1; Anna-Maria Johansson1,2; Thomas Rudolfsson1,3; Louise Rönnqvist1; Claes von Hofsten4; Kerstin Rosander4; Erik Domellöf1
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, v29 n6 p1510-1523 2025
Sensorimotor difficulties are common in children with autism spectrum disorder, and it has been suggested that motor planning problems underlie their atypical movements. At early school-age, motor planning development typically involves changes in visuomotor integration, a function known to be affected in autism spectrum disorder. However, there is a lack of detailed characterization of typical motor planning development during this stage, and how motor planning develops in children with autism spectrum disorder is largely unknown. This longitudinal kinematic study examined goal-directed sequential manual movements in children with autism spectrum disorder and in typically developing children across ages 7, 8, and 9 years. We manipulated goal-difficulty and availability of initial visual information to investigate visuomotor integration and chaining of subparts during movement performance. The results revealed emerging group differences at older age, suggesting atypical motor planning development in children with autism spectrum disorder. Notably, unlike the typically developing group, availability of initial visual information did not facilitate motor planning for the autism spectrum disorder group. The results show that motor planning differences in autism spectrum disorder appear related to atypical visuomotor integration and global processing of sensorimotor information. The findings also emphasize the importance of considering developmental aspects in research and practice related to motor problems in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Descriptors: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Perceptual Motor Coordination, Motor Development, Perceptual Development, Children, Difficulty Level, Visual Aids, Cognitive Processes, Age Differences, Psychomotor Skills, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Sweden
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children; Movement Assessment Battery for Children; Edinburgh Handedness Inventory
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Psychology, Umeå University, Sweden; 2Department of Health, Education and Technology, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden; 3Department of Occupational Health, Psychology and Sports Sciences, University of Gävle, Sweden; 4Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Sweden