Introduction
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition that affects how a person communicates, interacts, and behaves with others. Children with ASD often have difficulties with motor skills and executive function, which are important for learning and daily functioning. Motor skills are the ability to control and coordinate body movements, such as walking, running, jumping, writing, and drawing. Executive function is the ability to plan, organize, remember, focus, and control impulses, such as following instructions, completing tasks, and solving problems.
Researchers from the United States and Taiwan wanted to examine the relationship between parent ratings of motor skills and executive function in children with ASD from both countries. They also wanted to compare the differences and similarities between the two groups of children.
What did they do?
The researchers recruited 172 parents or legal guardians of children with ASD who were 4 to 6 years and 11 months old. The children were from Taiwan (100) and the United States (72). The parents or guardians completed a questionnaire that included:
- Demographic information, such as age, gender, race, body mass index, whether the child received physical activity or cognitive training, and parental education level.
- Child’s motor skills, using the Children Activity Scale – Parents (ChAS-P), which measures the child’s ability to perform fine motor skills (such as using scissors, buttons, and zippers) and gross motor skills (such as running, jumping, and climbing).
- Child’s executive function, using the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI), which measures the child’s working memory (the ability to hold and manipulate information in mind) and inhibition (the ability to resist distractions and impulses).
The researchers used statistical analyses to determine whether the child’s motor skills were associated with the child’s executive function, after controlling for the demographic variables. They also compared the results between the two countries.
What did they find?
The researchers found that:
- Total motor skills, fine motor skills, and gross motor skills were significantly associated with executive function in both working memory and inhibition, as rated by parents in both countries. This means that the higher the parent ratings of the child’s motor skills, the higher the parent ratings of the child’s executive function.
- The only exception was that there was no significant association between parent ratings of total motor skills, fine motor skills, and gross motor skills, and inhibition among Taiwanese children with ASD. This means that the parent ratings of the child’s motor skills did not predict the parent ratings of the child’s inhibition in this group.
- The associations between parent ratings of motor skills and executive function were similar between the two countries. This means that the relationship between these variables did not differ significantly by country.
What does it mean?
The researchers concluded that:
- There is a positive relationship between parent ratings of motor skills and executive function in children with ASD from both countries. This suggests that improving motor skills may also enhance executive function in these children, and vice versa.
- The relationship between parent ratings of motor skills and executive function is similar across cultures. This indicates that the findings are generalizable and applicable to children with ASD from different backgrounds and settings.
The researchers also discussed the implications and limitations of their study, and suggested directions for future research. For example, they recommended that:
- Future interventions and programs should focus on developing both motor skills and executive function in young children with ASD, as these skills are essential for their academic and social success.
- Future studies should use more objective and direct measures of motor skills and executive function, such as performance-based tests and brain imaging, to complement the parent ratings and to reduce potential biases and errors.
- Future studies should also include other factors that may influence the relationship between motor skills and executive function, such as the child’s language skills, sensory processing, and adaptive behavior.
FAQ
What are the differences between motor skills and executive function?
Motor skills are the abilities to coordinate and control the movements of the body, such as walking, running, jumping, grasping, and writing. Executive function is the set of cognitive processes that enable planning, organizing, problem-solving, self-regulation, and goal-directed behavior.
How does ASD affect motor skills and executive function?
ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects social communication and behavior. Children with ASD often have difficulties with motor skills and executive function, which can impact their daily functioning and academic performance. Some of the common challenges that children with ASD face in these domains are:
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- Poor balance, coordination, and posture
- Difficulty with fine and gross motor skills, such as manipulating objects, drawing, and handwriting
- Difficulty with motor planning and sequencing, such as following instructions and completing tasks
- Impaired working memory, attention, and inhibition
- Difficulty with shifting, flexibility, and adapting to changes
- Difficulty with initiating, organizing, and completing tasks
- Difficulty with self-monitoring, self-evaluation, and self-correction
Why is it important to compare motor skills and executive function of children with ASD across cultures?
Comparing motor skills and executive function of children with ASD across cultures can help to understand the influence of cultural factors on the development and expression of these abilities. Cultural factors may include the availability and accessibility of resources, services, and interventions, the expectations and values of parents and teachers, and the norms and practices of the society. By identifying the cross-cultural differences and similarities in motor skills and executive function of children with ASD, researchers and practitioners can develop more effective and culturally sensitive assessment and intervention strategies.
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