The relationship between social and gross motor skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Greece: implications for practice

Abstract Introduction: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder face significant difficulties in their social and motor development. Previous research has shown that motor difficulties associate and may predict social impairments in young children with the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Purpose of the study: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between gross motor and social skills development of children with ASD between seven and eleven years old. Methods: A cohort of 31 children (21 boys-67.7%, 10 girls) with ASD, and mean chronological age 9.3 ± 1.4 years old, from four primary special education schools in Greece has been studied. Social skills were assessed, by the responsible classroom teacher, using the Educational Evaluation Tool for Social Skills (EET-SS) in children with autism developed by Apteslis et al. (2012) and the children’s gross motor development was measured, by the researcher, using the Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-3) (Ulrich, 2019). Results: Data analysis revealed that there was a moderate correlation between children’s social and gross motor skills. Additionally, the developmental age children’s scores on one set of TGMD-3 skills, specifically the TGMD-3 ball skills, were found to be associated with the most of the EET-SS children’s scores. Implications & Conclusion: The study showed that children’s specific social skills were correlated with specific gross motor skills, such as the skills associated with object manipulation. The relationship between social skills and gross-motor skills in children with ASD should be taken into consideration when designing and implementing assessment practices and educational programs for children with ASD in order for the children to improve both their gross-motor skills and social skills, and ultimately the quality of their everyday functioning, inside and outside of school.