Motor development in children at risk of autism: a follow-up study of infant siblings.
Missed infant motor milestones in autism siblings forecast later motor and social delays—track them closely.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team watched infant siblings of autistic children for early motor delays. They tracked the same kids for years to see who kept lagging behind.
This was a small case-series study. Every child had an older brother or sister with autism.
What they found
Babies who missed early motor milestones were more likely to show later motor problems. The same kids also had stronger autism-related social traits as they grew.
In short, shaky motor skills in the first year acted like a red flag for future delays.
How this fits with other research
Sutera et al. (2007) saw the flip side: toddlers who later lost the ASD label had better motor skills at age two. Together the papers draw the same line—early motor level points to long-term outcome.
Myers et al. (2015) showed a four-week motor program can raise motor scores in preschoolers with ASD. Their pilot gives hope that the delays C et al. spotted can be tackled once they show up.
Kim et al. (2016) add a twist: in a mixed disability sample only fine-motor, not gross-motor, scores predicted later social and cognitive gains. The new study did not split fine from gross, so future work should look at which motor domain matters most.
Why it matters
You already watch language and play in infant siblings. Add a quick motor checklist—head control, sitting, crawling, walking. If milestones slip, keep an eye on both motor and social growth. Share the heads-up with parents and, when needed, refer to early motor therapy. A small shift in what you track can sharpen early risk detection and open the door to faster support.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Recently, evidence of poor or atypical motor skills in autism spectrum disorder has led some to argue that motor impairment is a core feature of the condition. The current study uses a longitudinal prospective design to assess the development of motor skills of 20 children at increased risk of developing autism spectrum disorder, who were recruited and tested at 9 and 40 months of age, on the basis of having an older sibling diagnosed with the condition. All children completed a range of motor, face processing, IQ and diagnostic assessments at a follow-up visit (aged 5-7 years), providing a detailed profile of development in this group from a number of standardised, parental report and experimental measures. A higher proportion of children than expected demonstrated motor difficulties at the follow-up visit and those highlighted by parental report as having poor motor skills as infants and toddlers were also more likely to have lower face processing scores and elevated autism-related social symptoms at 5-7 years, despite having similar IQ levels. These data lend support to the argument that early motor difficulties may be a risk factor for later motor impairment as well as differences in social communication and cognition, traits that are related to autism spectrum disorder.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2014 · doi:10.1177/1362361312470037