Leonard, HC and Bedford, R and Charman, T and Elsabbagh, M and Johnson, MH and Hill, EL and Baron-Cohen, S and Bolton, P and Chandler, S and Garwood, H and Holmboe, K and Hudry, K (2014) 'Motor development in children at risk of autism: A follow-up study of infant siblings.' Autism, 18 (3). pp. 281-291. ISSN 1362-3613

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Abstract

Recently, evidence of poor or atypical motor skills in autism spectrum disorder has led some to argue that motor impairment is a core feature of the condition. The current study uses a longitudinal prospective design to assess the development of motor skills of 20 children at increased risk of developing autism spectrum disorder, who were recruited and tested at 9 and 40 months of age, on the basis of having an older sibling diagnosed with the condition. All children completed a range of motor, face processing, IQ and diagnostic assessments at a follow-up visit (aged 5?7 years), providing a detailed profile of development in this group from a number of standardised, parental report and experimental measures. A higher proportion of children than expected demonstrated motor difficulties at the follow-up visit and those highlighted by parental report as having poor motor skills as infants and toddlers were also more likely to have lower face processing scores and elevated autism-related social symptoms at 5?7 years, despite having similar IQ levels. These data lend support to the argument that early motor difficulties may be a risk factor for later motor impairment as well as differences in social communication and cognition, traits that are related to autism spectrum disorder.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	autism spectrum disorder; broader autism phenotype; face processing; infant siblings; motor development
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions:	Faculty of Science and Health Faculty of Science and Health > Psychology, Department of
SWORD Depositor:	Elements
Depositing User:	Elements
Date Deposited:	11 Nov 2014 16:17
Last Modified:	06 Jan 2022 13:27
URI:	http://repository.essex.ac.uk/id/eprint/11294

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