The Relationship Between Family Income And Motor Coordination Function In Children With Autism And Typically Developing Peers

PURPOSE: To investigate the intricate interplay between socio-economic factors and motor coordination development in children aged 3-10, encompassing both autistic and typically developing children. METHODS: Participants were recruited from Guangzhou, China, 2017-2022,comprising autistic children (n = 140) and typically developing children (n = 341). Parent-reported data included per capita family income and other socio-demographic information. Motor coordination function was assessed by licensed researchers employing the 2nd edition of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2). Statistical analyses involved a comparison of socio-demographic factors between autistic and typically developing children. The association between per capita family income and motor coordination function was explored using a general linear model within each group. Covariates included children's age, sex, and sibling status, with significance set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Autistic children exhibited a higher male ratio (86.9% vs. 56.3%, p < 0.001), a lower maternal Bachelor's degree rate (52.9% vs. 76.5%, p < 0.001), and lower per capita family income (>8000 yuan per month: 37.1% vs. 60.4%, p < 0.001) compared to the typically developing group. They also had a higher prevalence of developmental coordination disorder diagnosis (79.3% vs. 19.9%, p < 0.001). In MABC evaluation, autistic children demonstrated lower standard scores across all three domains (hand fine motor: 6.95 vs. 10.42, body/hand-eye coordination: 6.79 vs. 9.69, dynamic/static balance: 4.60 vs. 8.09, all p < 0.001). Specifically, among autistic children, those from families with <8000 yuan/month per capita income performed worse in the body/hand-eye coordination test (standard score: 5.84 vs. 8.05, p < 0.001, multi-covariates adjusted). CONCLUSIONS: This study affirms motor coordination deficits in autistic children and establishes a correlation between low family income and suboptimal motor coordination performance, particularly in the body/hand-eye coordination domain. Our findings underscore the importance of supporting low-income families for early motor function evaluation and autism detection. Interventions targeting motor coordination should be prioritized, especially for autistic children from low-income families.