What does the research tell us about gross motor skills and autism? There has been quite a bit of research on the gross motor skill abilities of individuals with autism. A recent study took a closer look using a meta-analysis of the research to determine the motor skill abilities of individuals with autism and how […]
A recent research study looked closely at action observation, imitation, and autism. The study wanted to explore how neurologically, motor impairments contribute to the deficits and unique neural signatures of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Precognitive embodied simulation is the ability to understand other people’s actions and intentions and implicitly map other’s actions onto […]
Most children in the United States do not get enough physical activity per day including young children with autism. When children do not get the recommended moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day they are at greater risk for obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, low bone density, asthma, and depression. Research indicates that children who […]
If you are a school-based therapist, teacher, or parent you may be looking for suggestions and tips for increasing engagement on the playground for students with autism. It can be a struggle for some students to participate on the playground if they have deficits in motor skills, social skills or sensory processing. Many times, professionals […]
American Journal of Occupational Therapy published a systemic review on the effectiveness of work, activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) education, and sleep interventions for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The author found a total of 23 studies: 9 work related, 11 ADL/IADL, 3 education-related interventions and 0 sleep studies were […]
Social Red Rover Group Activity Purpose: Promote motor skill development, cooperation and social skills. Materials: none Activity: Divide the group up into two teams. Place one team on one side of the room and one team on the other side of the room. Just like Red Rover the teams call friends over – i.e. “Red […]
Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly has published research on motor skill deficiencies and the severity of symptoms in 159 young children (110 with autism diagnosis) ages 12 – 33 months. The researcher, Megan MacDonald, from Oregon State University, found the following: 1. children with autism were nearly a year behind their typical peers in […]
Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly recently published research on the link between motor skill deficits and autism. The participants in the study included 35, 6-15 year olds, with high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The researchers looked at object control skills i.e. catching and throwing and locomotor skills i.e. walking, running and jumping. Holding constant for […]