Communication Deficits and the Motor System: Exploring Patterns of Associations in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders Vol. 47; no. 1; pp. 155 - 162
• Main Authors: Mody, M., Shui, A. M., Nowinski, L. A., Golas, S. B., Ferrone, C., O’Rourke, J. A., McDougle, C. J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Associations; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorder - physiopathology; Autism Spectrum Disorder - psychology; Autistic children; Babies; Behavior; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Care and treatment; Child; Child and School Psychology; Child Language; Child, Preschool; Children; Children & youth; Cognitive ability; Cognitive behavioral therapy; Communication; Communication Disorders; Communication Disorders - physiopathology; Communication Disorders - psychology; Correlation; Developmental disorders; Drugs; Expressive Language; Female; Genetic engineering; Humans; Intelligence tests; Interdisciplinary aspects; Interpersonal Relations; Interpersonal Relationship; Language; Language Skills; Linear Models; Male; Motor ability; Motor skill; Motor Skills; Multiple Regression Analysis; Neural networks; Neurodevelopmental disorders; Neurosciences; Original Paper; Pediatrics; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Psychology; Psychomotor Skills; Public Health; Receptive Language; Risk factors; Siblings; Skill Development; Skills; Social interactions; Speech; Speech Impairments; Young Children; United States; Los Angeles California; United States > US; Massachusetts; Autism; Social interactions; Motor deficits; Language
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-2934-y

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have notable difficulties in motor, speech and language domains. The connection between motor skills (oral-motor, manual-motor) and speech and language deficits reported in other developmental disorders raises important questions about a potential relationship between motor skills and speech-language deficits in ASD. To this end, we examined data from children with ASD (
n
 = 1781), 2–17 years of age, enrolled in the Autism Speaks—Autism Treatment Network (AS-ATN) registry who completed a multidisciplinary evaluation that included diagnostic, physical, cognitive and behavioral assessments as part of a routine standard of care protocol. After adjusting for age, non-verbal IQ, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication use, and muscle tone, separate multiple linear regression analyses revealed significant positive associations of fine motor skills (FM) with both expressive language (EL) and receptive language (RL) skills in an impaired FM subgroup; in contrast, the impaired gross motor (GM) subgroup showed no association with EL but a significant negative association with RL. Similar analyses between motor skills and interpersonal relationships across the sample found both GM skills and FM skills to be associated with social interactions. These results suggest potential differences in the contributions of fine versus gross motor skills to autistic profiles and may provide another lens with which to view communication differences across the autism spectrum for use in treatment interventions.