Sensori-motor and daily living skills of preschool children with autism spectrum disorders.

Jasmin et al. (2009) watched 35 preschoolers with autism during everyday tasks. They scored fine motor, sensory, and self-care skills in one visit. The goal was to see which motor or sensory patterns linked to daily living delays.

Kids who avoided touch, sound, or movement had the most trouble with dressing, feeding, and toileting. Weak fine motor skills, like pinching small items, also predicted lower daily living scores. Sensory seeking or other sensory patterns showed no clear link.

Papadopoulos et al. (2012) widened the lens. They showed that poor ball skills and balance in school-age kids with autism went hand in hand with emotional outbursts and communication problems. Together the studies say motor issues ripple across behavior, not just self-care.

Pan et al. (2024) followed the thread into older childhood. Eight- to eleven-year-olds with autism kept their fine motor gaps and now those gaps tightly tracked executive function scores. The preschool fine motor flags you see today may forecast later planning and shifting problems.

Lord et al. (1997) found a similar fine motor link, but in sign language. Students who had trouble shaping signs also had low fine motor age scores. The pattern is consistent: fine motor delays choke expressive skills, whether the output is signs, play, or tooth-brushing.

If a three-year-old client pulls away from play-dough or can’t zip a coat, treat the sensory avoidance and fine motor piece together. Embed pinch, twist, and snip tasks into dressing and snack routines. Early fine motor work may pay double dividends by lifting later executive function and self-care independence.