Early Motor Repertoire and Developmental Functioning at Later Age of Children Who Were Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may exhibit early motor delay, and long-term motor impairments in addition to social and communicative problems. This pilot study aimed to describe (i) the early motor repertoire using General Movements Assessment (GMA) of infants later diagnosed with ASD, (ii) the developmental outcomes in these children between 24- and 42-months, and (iii) the relationship between GMA and developmental outcomes. Ten children diagnosed with ASD were included. All infants were assessed using Motor Optimality Score for 3- to 5-month-old Infants–Revised score sheet for GMA, and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III) for developmental functioning aged between 24- and 42-months. The median Motor Optimality Score-Revised (MOS-R) was 10 (range: 6–28), considered reduced optimal, and 80% of children had less than optimal MOS-R. 60% of the children had aberrant fidgety movements and abnormal postural patterns, and 80% had abnormal but not cramped-synchronized movement character. The mean composite scores of all subdomains in Bayley-III were below 69 (extremely low) in all children. This study highlighted the importance of early motor repertoire and longitudinal developmental assessments in children with ASD. Further research is needed to explore the potential of this assessment as a screening tool.