The Relationship between Motor Skills and Intelligence in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Pelayo’s team tested the kids with autism . They gave each child a short IQ test and a movement test that looked at balance, catching, and fine-hand use. Then they asked: does IQ predict how well the child moves?

Kids with lower performance IQ scored lower on the movement test. IQ alone explained one-fifth of the difference in motor skills. Children who also had intellectual disability showed the weakest movement scores.

Goldfarb et al. (2024) extend this link. They show that motor skills, IQ, and social thinking together explain 85 % of social problems. Targeting all three areas may help social skills more than targeting one.

Kopp et al. (2010) and Capio et al. (2013) echo the finding. In girls with ASD and in other motor-delay groups, worse movement predicts worse daily living skills, even after IQ is held constant.

Lemons et al. (2015) look at Williams syndrome and find the same pattern: better visuomotor skill predicts better daily life, above and beyond IQ. The IQ-motor-adaptive triangle keeps showing up across diagnoses.

If a child with ASD has low performance IQ or comorbid ID, expect motor gaps. Add quick motor screens to your intake. When you see weak balance or fine-hand use, fold motor goals into the plan. Better movement can lift daily living, social, and even tooth-brushing outcomes shown in other studies.