Motor-Communication Skill Link in Minimally Speaking Children on the Autism Spectrum from the U.S. and India.
Better movers are better communicators in minimally speaking autistic children, so add motor targets to your language plan.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Suswaram et al. (2025) looked at kids with autism who speak few or no words. They came from the U.S. and India.
The team tested how well the kids moved and how well they asked for or refused things. They wanted to see if better movers were also better communicators.
What they found
Gross motor skills predicted communication skills. Kids who could run, jump, and balance were better at getting items and at saying "no."
Both gross and fine motor skills linked to refusal skills. If a child could move well, he could also push away or shake his head to reject.
How this fits with other research
Craig et al. (2018) saw the same link in preschoolers. Poor catch-and-throw scores went hand-in-hand with social-communication delays. Suma’s work shows the pattern holds even when kids are older and still barely speaking.
Oliveira et al. (2023) add a twist. They found that weak motor skills shrink participation at home, school, and in the park. Suma’s data say the same motor delays also choke communication. Put together, poor movers stay left out and stay silent.
Ketcheson et al. (2017) proved big motor gains are possible. Eight weeks of daily play lifted locomotor and ball skills in preschoolers with autism. If motor growth sparks communication, as Suma suggests, Leah’s program may have also nudged language.
Why it matters
If you work with minimally speaking kids, screen both motor and communication skills. Build movement games into sessions: obstacle courses, balance beams, bean-bag toss. Each successful move gives the child a reason to request, refuse, or comment. Target both domains together and you may see faster communication growth.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Open your next session with a 5-minute balance or ball-skill game and prompt requests for turns or help.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
We aimed to examine the interrelations between motor and communication skills, as well as associations between motor skill subdomains and different communicative functions in minimally speaking children on the autism spectrum, whereas accounting for the child's age, country of residence, educational setting, and communication modalities (covariates). Data from 67 minimally speaking children on the autism spectrum (ages 4-9) from India and the U.S. were analyzed. Motor and communication skills were assessed using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Third Edition and the Communication Matrix. Linear regression was used to examine associations between communication and motor skills, and partial correlations were conducted to explore relations between motor skill subdomains and communicative functions. Motor skills were significantly associated with communication skills, independent of covariates. Significant relations were also observed between both motor skill subdomains and refusal functions, as well as between gross motor skills and the obtain function. No significant associations were found between social or information functions and any motor skill subdomain, independent of covariates. The findings underscore the complex and interrelated nature of motor and communication skills. Consideration of both motor and communication skills in intervention approaches may provide insights into ways to support communication development in minimally speaking children on the autism spectrum.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2025 · doi:10.1002/aur.70033