Quantitative Assessment of Neuromotor Function in Adolescents with High Functioning Autism and Asperger Syndrome

Background: Motor impairment in children with Asperger Syndrome (AS) or High functioning autism (HFA) has been reported previously. This study presents results of a quantitative assessment of neuromotor skills in 14-22 year old HFA/AS. Methods: 16 HFA/AS and 16 IQ-matched controls were assessed by t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of autism and developmental disorders 2007-05, Vol.37 (5), p.948-959
Main Authors: Freitag, Christine M, Kleser, Christina, Schneider, Marc, von Gontard, Alexander
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescents
Adult
Asperger Syndrome
Asperger Syndrome - epidemiology
Asperger Syndrome - physiopathology
Asperger's syndrome
Aspergers syndrome
Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Autistic adolescents
Autistic children
Autistic Disorder - epidemiology
Autistic Disorder - physiopathology
Biological and medical sciences
Child clinical studies
Children
Clinical assessment
Cognitive Development
Control Groups
Developmental disorders
Evaluation
Evaluation Methods
High functioning
Humans
Infantile autism
Intelligence tests
Language Acquisition
Male
Medical sciences
Motor ability
Motor performance
Motor skill
Motor task performance
Prevalence
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychomotor Disorders - diagnosis
Psychomotor Disorders - epidemiology
Psychomotor Disorders - physiopathology
Psychomotor Skills
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Severity (of Disability)
Standardized Tests
Statistical Analysis
Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
Withdrawal (Psychology)
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Summary:Background: Motor impairment in children with Asperger Syndrome (AS) or High functioning autism (HFA) has been reported previously. This study presents results of a quantitative assessment of neuromotor skills in 14-22 year old HFA/AS. Methods: 16 HFA/AS and 16 IQ-matched controls were assessed by the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment (ZNA). Results: The HFA/AS group showed strongest impairments of dynamic balance skills and diadochokinesis. Motor abilities were associated with degree of social withdrawal in the full sample and severity of current autistic symptoms in the HFA/AS group. Conclusion: Similar motor patterns as in younger children were found in the older adolescents. The association of autistic symptoms with motor performance points towards an essential role of motor impairment in autism spectrum disorders.
ISSN:0162-3257
1573-3432
DOI:10.1007/s10803-006-0235-6