The analysis of three-dimensional ground reaction forces during gait in children with autism spectrum disorders.
Kids with autism walk with harder landings and early weight shifts—clear signs of balance risk you can see on a force plate.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Hasan et al. (2017) watched kids walk across a force plate. The plate measured how their feet pushed the ground in three directions.
They compared kids with autism to same-age kids without autism. No one wore weights or special shoes.
What they found
Kids with autism hit the ground harder when they landed. They also let go of their body weight too early in the step.
These force changes hint at shaky balance and less steady support while walking.
How this fits with other research
Ghanouni et al. (2017) seems to disagree. They saw more wobble only when kids with autism looked at faces, not objects. The clash fades once you see the tasks: one paper tested quiet standing, the other tested walking.
Gong et al. (2020) backs up Che. They used pressure mats and also found flat, uneven steps in preschoolers with autism.
Martín-Díaz et al. (2026) pools 34 studies and says balance is worse across childhood. Che’s force-plate data is one brick in that wall.
Martín-Díaz et al. (2024) widens the picture. They show big balance gaps last into the teen years, so early gait checks stay useful.
Why it matters
Spotting odd ground forces gives you an early warning. Add a quick gait screen to your intake. If forces look off, weave balance drills, trunk games, or weighted backpacks into sessions. Better balance can cut falls and boost confidence on the playground.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Minimal information is known about the three-dimensional (3D) ground reaction forces (GRF) on the gait patterns of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the 3D GRF components differ significantly between children with ASD and the peer controls. 15 children with ASD and 25 typically developing (TD) children had participated in the study. Two force plates were used to measure the 3D GRF data during walking. Time-series parameterization techniques were employed to extract 17 discrete features from the 3D GRF waveforms. By using independent t-test and Mann-Whitney U test, significant differences (p<0.05) between the ASD and TD groups were found for four GRF features. Children with ASD demonstrated higher maximum braking force, lower relative time to maximum braking force, and lower relative time to zero force during mid-stance. Children with ASD were also found to have reduced the second peak of vertical GRF in the terminal stance. These major findings suggest that children with ASD experience significant difficulties in supporting their body weight and endure gait instability during the stance phase. The findings of this research are useful to both clinicians and parents who wish to provide these children with appropriate treatments and rehabilitation programs.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2017 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2017.02.015