Movement and Motor Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Scoping Review

Gross and fine motor skills are essential for health as these skills allow children to engage in physical activity. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience delays in these skills and/or atypical motor patterns (Berkeley et al., 2001; Green et al., 2002; Ozonoff et al., 2008; Vernazza-Martin et al., 2005). Research has found participation in physical activity can enhance motor skills among this population. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify and analyze the effect of movement interventions performed by children aged five to 18 with ASD. Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) five-step framework was followed. Five databases (PsychInfo, PubMed, Eric, CINAHL and SPORTDiscus) were searched initially in Fall 2022 and then again in Spring 2024, using a search strategy to identify English studies published between January 2012 and June 2024. Studies were included if they examined children aged five to 18 years with ASD, where motor skills were assessed as the primary or secondary outcome and movement was a quantifiable (e.g., dose in frequency, duration, time) part of the intervention. We excluded other review studies or studies examining a non-youth population (18). The search resulted in 2066 articles that met the initial inclusion criteria after the duplications were removed. Several reviews have examined the relationship between movement and children with ASD; however, the focus on motor skill outcomes in the current work is unique. Understanding the relationship between movement and motor skill development may help to inform practitioners on interventions warranted for this population.