Effectiveness of a fundamental motor skill intervention for 4-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study

Bremer, Emily; Balogh, Robert; Lloyd, Meghann

doi:10.1177/1362361314557548

Cited by 104 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Following a 12-week intervention, the experimental group achieved significant gains in gross motor skills (PDMS-2) (Bremer et al, 2014). While significant changes were not reported in either social skills or adaptive behavior, there is evidence to support that proficiency in motor skills at 2 years of age is a significant predictor of optimal outcomes at 4 years of age in children with ASD (Sutera et al, 2007).…”

mentioning

confidence: 96%

The effects of an early motor skill intervention on motor skills, levels of physical activity, and socialization in young children with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study

Ketcheson

Hauck

Ulrich

2016

Autism

142

103

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Despite evidence suggesting one of the earliest indicators of an eventual autism spectrum disorder diagnoses is an early motor delay, there remain very few interventions targeting motor behavior as the primary outcome for young children with autism spectrum disorder. The aim of this pilot study was to measure the efficacy of an intensive motor skill intervention on motor skills (Test of Gross Motor Development-2), physical activity (accelerometers), and socialization (Playground Observation of Peer Engagement) in young children with autism spectrum disorder. A total of 20 children with autism spectrum disorder aged 4-6 years participated. The experimental group ( n = 11) participated in an 8-week intervention consisting of motor skill instruction for 4 h/day, 5 days/week. The control group ( n = 9) did not receive the intervention. A repeated-measures analysis of covariance revealed statistically significant differences between groups in all three motor outcomes, locomotor ( F(1, 14) = 10.07, p < 0.001, partial η = 0.42), object control ( F(1, 14) = 12.90, p < 0.001, partial η = 0.48), and gross quotient ( F(1, 14) = 15.61, p < 0.01, partial η = 0.53). Findings shed light on the importance of including motor programming as part of the early intervention services delivered to young children with autism spectrum disorder.

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mentioning

confidence: 96%

The effects of an early motor skill intervention on motor skills, levels of physical activity, and socialization in young children with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study

Ketcheson

Hauck

Ulrich

2016

Autism

142

103

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…However, this seemingly is a common issue when considering research on children with ASD (see Bremer et al, 2014;Staples and Reid, 2010). Further, due to the small number of individuals and the heterogeneity associated with ASD, the generalizability of the findings of this study are limited.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Two of the more recent studies Bremer, Balogh, & Lloyd, 2014) demonstrate an increasing awareness of the needs of children with ASD in relation to motor development. For example, Bremer and colleagues (2014), in a small sample (n = 9) pilot study of 4-yearold children with ASD, demonstrated an FMS intervention's positive effect on gross motor skills, as well as improvements in adaptive behavior and social skills.…”

Section: Lack Of Motor Intervention For Asdmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As one's motor skills increase, his or her ability to interact with the environment would also improve. Bremer et al (2014), in an earlier motor intervention for children with ASD, searched for changes in adaptive behavior that might correspond to changes in motor skills. While the study was hampered by a small sample size, Bremer et al concluded that there were no significant changes in adaptive behavior or social skills in relation to changes in motor performance.…”

Section: Rq 2: What Influence Do Changes In Fms Have On the Adaptive mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bremer et al (2014) suggest that 12-18 weeks of intervention may be more suited to improve skills and capture change. However, "weeks" may not be the length of time that should be the initial focus.…”

Section: Implications and Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Mixed-Methods Analysis of the Effects of a Fundamental Motor Skills Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Colombo-Dougovito

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and pervasive repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Further, ASD is one of the fastest rising childhood developmental disorders, affecting 1 in 68 children (Christensen et al., 2016). In addition to the hallmark charactizations of this condition is a growing body of research (Lloyd, MacDonald, & Lord, 2013;Liu, Hamilton, Davis, ElGarhy, 2014;Staples & Reid, 2010) that suggests that individuals with ASD also demonstrate delays in the development of gross motor skills. Despite mounting evidence of delay, few interventions have targeted gross motor skills as an outcome (Staples, MacDonald, Zimmer, 2012). Three recent studies (Bremer, Crozier, & Lloyd, 2016; Ketcheson, Hauck, & Ulrich, 2016), amoung others, demonstrate the increasing awareness to this issue; however, continued theory-based research is needed to builded an effective motor intervention for children with ASD.The purpose of this parallel, convergent mixed methods design study was to test the validity and effectiveness of a fundamental motor skill (FMS) intervention for children with ASD that uses dynamic systems theory (DST; Newell, 1986). The intervention was based on intentional manipulations of task constraints, hereafter referred to as task modifications, to build FMS. This study incorporated both quantitative and qualitative data to understand not only how the task modifications work to influence the motor performance of children with and without ASD, but how potential changes in motor performance, or the perception of, was understood by parents. Furthermore, this study sought to understand how the intervention effected the daily lives of the individual iv and their family.Results revealed that a motor intervention based on dynamic systems theory may: (a) significantly improve gross motor performance of children; (b) provide an effective means to build motor skills in children with ASD; and (c) allow for a high level of engagement and successful practice. Furthermore, parent interviews suggest that there are number of barriers to physical activity, as well as many benefits. Futher, results suggest that the home environment may play a role in the gain made during a school based intervention; acting as an environmental constraint. Lastly, when looking at changes in motor performance compared to themes discussed by parents, data suggest that motor skills may play a role as a mediating factor in a child's physical activity level.Additionally, the results suggest that direct changes from increases in motor performance may have delayed indirect changes in other developmental skill and in the child's life.While data suggest significant improvements, a small sample size and the heterogeneity of ASD limit the overall generalizability of the intervention. Further research is necessary to fully understand the potential of an intervention based on task modifications. Moreover, while significant finding...

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Flexible Pressure Sensors for Objective Assessment of Motor Disorders

Amit

Chukoskie

Skalsky

et al. 2019

Adv Funct Materials

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Monitoring body motion is relevant to motor control disorders as well as assessment of fine motor skills in child development. Furthermore, motion tracking is necessary for rehabilitation monitoring and injury prevention and benefits both sick and healthy individuals. Flexible pressure sensors based on resistors, capacitors, inductors, or transistors are reviewed in the context of healthcare measurements, ranging from physiological signals to body movement characteristics such as grip and gait. To demonstrate the use of flexible pressure sensors for motor assessment, a touch sensing glove that evaluates fine motor skills in autism research is developed. The results show that autistic children perform fewer taps per minute compared to typically developing children, with larger variations in tap durations. In a second example, a force and motion sensing glove is developed to assess spasticity, a neuromuscular disorder that causes muscle stiffness/resistance and jerky movement. Analyses of force versus velocity show movement-dependent muscle resistance in a patient with spasticity. Through these flexible sensor systems, the shift from subjective scores to objective measurement will promote better diagnosis and dramatically improve the accuracy in tracking patient response to therapy.patients doing certain movements, and then clinicians rank each patient's level according to qualitative descriptions in benchmark classification scales. [12,13] The subjective scores can be inconsistent between raters and do not capture finelevel changes in a patient's progress in response to therapy. Therefore, there is a critical need to tackle the issue of imprecise assessment of motor disorders.With recent advances in flexible sensors and innovations in tactile sensing, [14][15][16][17][18][19] we have new low-cost technologies that are prime to facilitate quantitative evaluation of motor control. This progress report presents current developments in wearable sensor systems applicable to motor disorders, so that consistent, objective metrics become available to accurately track whether a treatment effectively relieves symptoms. The wearable sensors are not limited to placement on patients but can also be worn by clinicians or caregivers to assist them in taking measurements during patient interactions. [20,21] The point-of-care sensor systems will allow frequent monitoring, which is highly desirable to offer a better understanding of the patient's short and long-term response to therapies, to tailor treatment and improve outcome and quality of life for patients.Other reviews [14][15][16][17][18][19] have already extensively covered the flexible materials and devices used in tracking vital signs and electronic skin applications. In light of that, this progress report focuses on the applications in monitoring motor skills, in particular to implement pressure sensor designs for wearable systems with diverse form factors, for instance, gloves, [20,22,23] epidermal tags tags, [24,25] and shoe insoles. [26,27] We will discuss the mechanis...

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Effectiveness of a fundamental motor skill intervention for 4-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study

Cited by 104 publications

References 36 publications

The effects of an early motor skill intervention on motor skills, levels of physical activity, and socialization in young children with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study

The effects of an early motor skill intervention on motor skills, levels of physical activity, and socialization in young children with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study

A Mixed-Methods Analysis of the Effects of a Fundamental Motor Skills Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Flexible Pressure Sensors for Objective Assessment of Motor Disorders

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