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Wilson RB, Burdekin ED, Jackson NJ, Hughart L, Anderson J, Dusing SC, Gulsrud A, Kasari C. Slower pace in early walking onset is related to communication, motor skills, and adaptive function in autistic toddlers. Autism Res 2024; 17:27-36. [PMID: 38009228 PMCID: PMC10842796 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
The onset of walking is a major developmental milestone in early childhood and is critical to the development of language and social communication. Delays in walking have been described in individuals with ASD. Yet, less is known about the quality of early gait development in toddlers with ASD and the relationship to motor skills, social communication, and language. Quantitative measures of locomotion can improve our ability to evaluate subtle and specific motor differences in toddlers with ASD and their relationship to other developmental domains. We used quantitative gait analysis to evaluate locomotion in toddlers with ASD (n = 51) and compared these data to a reference chronological aged (CA) and mental aged (MA) matched typically developing (TD) cohort (n = 45). We also examined the relationship of quantitative gait metrics to developmental measures among toddlers with ASD. We found that although toddlers with ASD achieved a typical age range of walking onset, they exhibited a pattern of slower pace compared to the TD cohort when matched by CA and MA. We also found that slower measures of pace were associated with lower developmental scores of communication, motor skills, and adaptive function. Our findings improve characterization of locomotion in toddlers with ASD and the relationship of motor skills to other developmental domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rujuta B Wilson
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Division of Child Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - Nicholas J Jackson
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine & Health Services Research, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Lauren Hughart
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Division of Child Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Jeff Anderson
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Division of Child Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Stacey C Dusing
- Ostrow School of Dentistry, Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Amanda Gulsrud
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Division of Child Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Connie Kasari
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Division of Child Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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