Does autism affect physical ability?

Autism is a complex developmental disability that affects how a person communicates, interacts, behaves, and learns. Autism is referred to as a “spectrum” disorder because there is wide variation in the type and severity of symptoms people experience. So does autism affect a person’s physical abilities? Here is a closer look at the evidence.

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Motor skills in autism

Several studies have found that motor skills, which are physical abilities related to movement and coordination, are affected in many people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some key research findings on motor skills in ASD include:

Children with autism often have delayed motor skill development in areas like sitting, crawling, and walking.
Around 80% of children with autism have some degree of impairment in motor skills like balance, coordination, gait, and other abilities.
Adolescents and adults with autism tend to have poorer performance on tasks requiring motor coordination, like catching a ball or using tools, compared to peers.

Some motor skill challenges seen in ASD include clumsiness, odd gait patterns, poor handwriting, and slow/uncoordinated movements.

While the severity varies among individuals, difficulties with motor skills are very common in autism. Problems are present early in childhood and often persist through adolescence and adulthood. This indicates autism itself impacts the development and coordination of physical movement.

Reasons for motor difficulties

Researchers have looked at possible reasons why motor skills are affected in autism:

Brain differences – Neuroimaging studies reveal structural and functional abnormalities in parts of the autistic brain involved in planning, controlling, and coordinating movement.
Connecting brain regions – The networks between brain areas appear less coordinated in autism. This could disrupt smooth, coordinated motor skills.
Cerebellum differences – This brain region important for motor control and learning skills is often impacted in autism.

Problems with motor learning – Mastering new motor skills through repetition and practice may be impaired in autism.
Motor-social links – Social and communication deficits in autism could disrupt normal development of motor skills which require social interaction.

In summary, evidence points to autism itself affecting the key brain systems that control planning, coordination and skill development involved in movement. Motor difficulties are tied to autism, not just a secondary result of it.

Effects on activities

How do motor skill challenges impact daily living for those with autism? Some examples include:

Delays in developmental milestones – Sitting, crawling, walking, and other early motor markers are often delayed.
Handwriting – This fine motor skill is often messy and slow to develop.

Playing sports – Catching, throwing, running, and team sports are challenging for many.
Using utensils – Cutting food, using a pencil, or tools may be hard.
Riding a bike – Balance and coordination problems create difficulty.

Dressing and grooming – Tasks like buttons, zippers, and tying shoes are hard.
Physical education class – Structureed P.E. activities highlight motor difficulties.

While some with autism have mild issues or even gifted athleticism, many struggle with motor skills needed for daily childhood activities and self-care. This can contribute to social isolation from peers.

Therapies and interventions

There are many therapies and interventions focused on improving motor skills for those with autism at different ages and ability levels:

Early intervention – Physical therapy starting as a toddler can improve foundational motor skills.
Targeted training – Specific motor skills like catching or handwriting can be practiced.

Sensory integration – Combining movement with sensory input can help coordination.
Assistive tools – Adapted utensils, walkers, or other tools enable functioning.
Structured games – Games and exercises with progressively challenging motor components.

Aquatic therapy – Water provides an ideal environment to improve motor skills.

These therapeutic approaches leverage repetitive practice and sensory feedback tailored to each person’s motor skill deficits. Though autism itself causes motor challenges, interventions can often significantly improve a person’s physical abilities and independence.

Fine vs gross motor skills

Motor skills are generally divided into two categories that are both impacted in autism:

Gross motor skills – Large movements of arms, legs, feet, or the entire body. Examples are walking, jumping, throwing, and balancing.
Fine motor skills – Small, specialized motions often involving hands, fingers, wrists. Examples are grasping objects, writing, buttoning, or using utensils.

Studies find that while people with autism have impairments in both gross and fine motor realms, the deficits are generally more pronounced for fine motor skills. Activities requiring precise coordination of small hand and finger movements tend to be more affected. Yet challenges exist for larger motor skills as well.

Gross motor skills

Some research insights on gross motor deficits seen in autism spectrum disorder:

Delayed attainment of motor milestones like sitting, standing, and walking.
Balance problems, clumsiness, and odd gait patterns are common.

Limitations in skills like running, jumping, catching, throwing.
Reduced performance on timed motor tests. Slower rapid limb movements.
Difficulty coordinating sequences of gross motor actions together smoothly.

While gross motor abilities are impaired, most individuals with autism can still acquire basic skills like walking, running, and climbing. Yet speed, balance, and coordination deficits often persist.

Fine motor skills

Some examples of fine motor impairments found in studies of autism spectrum disorder:

delayed ability to manipulate small objects and grasp tools.

Very poor or slow handwriting skills.
Problems using utensils, doing buttons, tying shoes.
Difficulty with skilled hands tasks like opening containers.

Challenges assembling puzzles, building models, crafting.

Fine motor skills requiring dexterous use of hands and fingers seem to be especially impaired. These skills are critical for many school, self-care, and daily living activities.

Reasons for fine vs gross differences

Why are fine motor deficits generally more severe than gross motor problems in autism? Some possible reasons researchers have identified:

Brain regions involved in fine motor control like the cerebellum may be more impacted.
More complex fine motor learning depends on social interaction, which is disrupted in autism.
Developing gross motor skills relies relatively less on social learning and feedback.

Preserved basic gross motor milestones may mask underlying deficits in coordination or speed.
Limited fine motor play in childhood delays skill development.

In essence, mastering precise fine motor sequencing and skills relies more heavily on social interaction and learning – two domains significantly affected by autism from an early age. This likely contributes to greater fine motor impairments.

Is there a link to repetitive behaviors?

Interestingly, some research has looked at whether motor skill challenges are tied to repetitive behaviors commonly seen in autism. Key findings on this possible connection include:

More severe overall motor impairments tend to correlate with more repetitive behaviors.
Poorer fine motor abilities specifically associate with increased repetitive motor mannerisms like hand flapping or finger movements.

Repetitive behaviors may provide sensory-motor stimulation to compensate for motor deficits.
Basic motor deficits could make flexible, variable movements harder, leading to repetition.

The correlations found point to a link between underlying motor impairments and the development of repetitive, stereotyped movements. But more research is needed to understand this relationship and its brain basis.

Speech and motor skills

Another active area of research is how motor deficits relate to delayed speech development in autism. Some key findings to emerge:

Infants later diagnosed with autism show early delays in babbling, pointing, waving – skills requiring motor coordination.
Problems with oral-motor control needed for speech may contribute to language delays.

Imitating mouth shapes and facial expressions relies on motor abilities that are impaired.
Motor and speech delays may have common origins in brain development differences.

The interconnections between motor and speech development are complex. But motor impairments likely negatively impact the ability to produce fluent, coordinated speech in many with autism.

Physical abilities beyond motor skills

While motor deficits are very common, autism affects other physical domains as well:

Sensory abnormalities – Problems processing input from touch, sound, sight, balance, body position.
Low muscle tone – Reduced strength and endurance for physical tasks.

Unusual body postures – Odd sitting, standing, walking positions.
Sleep issues – Problems with sleep onset, quality, and duration.
Clumsiness – Lack of coordination, prone to injuries.

Epilepsy – Up to a third have seizures causing loss of control.

While motor deficits are one central physical symptom, autism involves other effects like unusual sensory responses, low muscle tone, seizure disorders, and more. These can also hinder physical skills and activities.

Are there benefits to motor differences?

While motor deficits create challenges for those with autism, it’s important to note some evidence also points to enhanced motor abilities in certain areas compared to normal controls. Benefits found in some studies include:

Better performance on timed repetitive motor tasks requiring speed and accuracy.
Superior finger dexterity and arm speed on motor sequencing tests.
Enhanced perception of detail in moving objects.

Above average abilities to detect subtle changes in motion.

These motor strengths seen in some people with autism suggest brain differences don’t just impair abilities, but can also create areas of talent. But much more research is needed on this complex topic.

Conclusion

In summary, motor impairments in skills like coordination, speed, balance, and dexterity are very common in autism spectrum disorder. Fine motor skills involving use of hands and fingers tend to be more affected than gross motor abilities. These motor deficits originate from differences in the autistic brain’s motor control systems which disrupt learning and smooth execution of physical skills. Motor impairments can in turn increase repetitive behaviors and affect the development of speech and language abilities. While challenges exist, therapies targeting specific motor deficits can improve outcomes. With proper support, many people with autism are able to gain independent physical abilities and lead active lives.