Autism spectrum disorder and early motor abnormalities: Connected or coincidental companions?

Setoh et al. (2017) wrote a narrative review. They asked: do early motor delays and autism risk travel together?

They focused on babies of parents who show mild ASD traits but do not have a diagnosis. The team pulled together studies that tracked infant movement and later development.

The review points to one key study: 6- to 12-month-olds with subtle motor lags were more likely to have parents with subclinical ASD traits.

The authors treat these motor hiccups as a red flag for broader developmental vulnerability, not just a coincidence.

Özcan et al. (2025) extends the idea. They watched infants after they learned to walk. Babies later diagnosed with ASD did not start gesturing or cooing more, unlike typical babies or those with only language delay. Walking alone did not jump-start communication.

Brisson et al. (2012) gives an earlier clue. Mouth-opening anticipation during spoon feeds was already weaker at 4–6 months in babies who later received an ASD label. Both papers line up: early motor signs can precede social-communication gaps.

Iao et al. (2024) adds hope. In toddlers with ASD, better manual imitation and joint-attention responses predicted bigger language gains 18 months later. So while motor delays may flag risk, targeted motor-social skills can still drive progress.

Watch how 6- to 12-month-olds move, especially if parents show quirky social style. Small lags can whisper “pay attention” long before words are expected. Pair motor play with joint-attention and imitation drills; the same motions that look delayed can become the doorway to language. Don’t wait for walking to “naturally” fix communication—build both side by side.