Motor Impairment in Children with 16p11.2-Deletion and -Duplication Syndromes.
Every child with a 16p11.2 gene change shows motor delays, so screen and refer early.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Soliman et al. (2025) tracked motor skills in kids with 16p11.2 deletion or duplication. They compared carriers to same-age peers without the gene change.
The team used standard motor tests from infancy through age 18. They looked at both big-muscle moves like jumping and small moves like buttoning.
What they found
Carriers scored lower on every motor task. Kids with the deletion had the hardest time with gross-motor skills like running and balance.
The gaps stayed wide across all ages. Even toddlers showed delays, long before autism traits might show up.
How this fits with other research
Green Snyder et al. (2016) first showed that only one in five duplication carriers get autism. Priscilla’s team now adds that every carrier, with or without autism, moves slower and weaker.
Smith et al. (2022) found that over 70 % of these same kids have sensory red flags. Together the papers paint a full picture: the gene change hits movement, senses, and sometimes social skills.
Ben Mansour et al. (2026) gave teens with IDD an 8-week mindfulness program and saw big motor gains. The new study says 16p11.2 carriers need that kind of help early, before school age.
Why it matters
You can spot these kids in your clinic before autism signs appear. Add a quick motor screen to every intake for 16p11.2 families. When scores lag, write the OT or PT script right away. Early movement therapy may head off later social and learning issues.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The present study sought to explore the motor phenotype of 16p11.2 deletion and duplication syndromes in a sample of probands (50.5% female), ranging in age from 6 months to 17 years. The extent and variability of motor dysfunction was assessed among carriers of 16p11.2 deletion and duplication syndromes, non-carrier siblings, and non-familial controls using several standardized performance- and informant-based measures. Analyses indicated that probands with either 16p11.2 deletion or duplication syndrome exhibited poorer motor performance compared to familial and non-familial controls. While deletion and duplication carriers performed similarly across several measures of fine-motor functioning, deletion carriers scored significantly lower than duplication carriers on the MABC-2, a comprehensive assessment of both gross- and fine-motor skills. Males and females with a 16p11.2 CNV performed worse on motor tasks compared to non-carrier controls, but there were no sex differences within carrier groups. Results underscore motor impairment as a clear feature of 16p11.2 deletion and duplication syndromes in infancy through adolescence. Motor functioning is discussed as a facet with strong evidence to support early identification practices of ASD.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025 · doi:10.1016/j.ejpn.2013.09.002