Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Feb:54:37-47.
doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2018.11.003. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Infant motor skill predicts later expressive language and autism spectrum disorder diagnosis

Eve Sauer LeBarton  1 , Rebecca J Landa  2
Affiliations

Infant motor skill predicts later expressive language and autism spectrum disorder diagnosis

Eve Sauer LeBarton et al. Infant Behav Dev. 2019 Feb.

Abstract

Motor difficulties may be an early Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) risk indicator and may predict subsequent expressive language skills. Further understanding of motor functioning in the first year of life in children with ASD is needed. We examined motor skills in 6-month-olds (n = 140) at high and low familial risk for ASD using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (Grasping, Visual-Motor Integration, and Stationary subscales). In Study 1, motor skill at 6 months predicted ASD status at 24-36 months; ASD was associated with poorer infant motor skills. In Study 2, motor skill at 6 months predicted expressive language at 30 and 36 months. Findings provide evidence that vulnerability in motor function early in development is present in ASD. Findings highlight the importance of developmental monitoring in high-risk infants and possible cascading effects of early disruption in motor development.

Keywords: ASD siblings; Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); Expressive language; Grasping; Infancy; Motor skill; Predictors; Visual-Motor.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types