Predicting Motor Skills In Children with ASD, ADHD and DCD

In a recent study published in Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 49 children with a mean age of 5 yrs 6 months were evaluated with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC). The children were diagnosed or at risk for developing ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental coordination disorder (DCD) or no diagnosis. All the children scored on or below the 15th percentile on the M-ABC and had an IQ of 70 or more. Two to three years later the children were re-evaluated using the M-ABC. At a mean age of 7 years, 11 months the scores on the M-ABC significantly increased with 22 children no longer below the 15th percentile. The group of children with ASD's showed less improvements in M-ABC scores. The researchers concluded that motor deficits may not always be static in young children, except in the case of ASD's.

Reference: HILDE VAN WAELVELDE, ANN OOSTRA, GRIET DEWITTE, CHRISTINE VAN DEN BROECK, MARIAN J JONGMANS Stability of motor problems in young children with or at risk of autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and or developmental coordination disorder (p ) Dev Med Child Neur Published Online: Jan 28 2010 10:06AM DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2009.03606.x


50 Sensory Motor Activities for Kids!: This is an electronic book of 50 sensory motor activities that get children moving. This collection of creative, fun filled activities promote fundamental motor skills, sensory processing, motor planning and body awareness.