Fundamental movement skills in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The team compared basic movement skills across three groups of elementary-age children: autism, ADHD, and neurotypical peers.

They used a standard motor test that looks at running, jumping, throwing, and catching.

No one got an intervention; the study simply measured where each child stood.

Children with autism scored lowest on every skill.

Kids with ADHD also lagged behind peers, but their gap was smaller than the autism group.

The take-home: motor delays are bigger in autism than in ADHD.

Ohan et al. (2015) used the same three-group design and again ranked autism lowest, but they looked at daily living skills instead of motor skills.

The pattern matches: autism shows the widest deficit no matter which domain you test.

Oliveira et al. (2023) took the idea one step further. They showed that the very locomotor and ball skills Chien-Yu flagged predict how often kids with autism join recess, PE, and birthday parties.

Ketcheson et al. (2017) proves the gap can close: eight weeks of daily motor play pushed preschoolers with autism from delayed to age-typical on the same test.

Together the papers form a timeline: identify the lag early, understand the social cost, then treat it.

If you work with elementary students, add a quick motor screen to your intake.

Low scores signal a child may soon sit out games and lose social practice.

Pair the screen with referral to OT, PT, or a structured motor club.

Fixing the skill can open the door to friendships and recess inclusion.