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van den Bos N, Houwen S, Schoemaker M, Rozenblum S. Using Structural Equation Modeling to analyze handwriting of children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:155-167. [PMID: 36243787 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05741-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
This study tests a handwriting model for children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) that displays the relationships between handwriting process and product characteristics, and the predictors of these characteristics. Structural Equation Modelling was used to test the model for children and youth with ASD (n = 50) and typically developing peers (n = 50), ages 10 to 15, for a copying and freestyle handwriting task. Findings suggest a generic handwriting model applying to both groups and both handwriting tasks. Unique effects for children and youth with ASD were identified for: (1) high interdependence of handwriting process characteristics, (2) longer pen stroke in air leading to better legibility, and (3) lower scores for executive functions leading to lower scores for legibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nellie van den Bos
- Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, Department of Occupational Therapy, Laboratory of Complex Human Activity and Participation (CHAP), University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, 3498838, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Suzanne Houwen
- Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Inclusive and Special Needs Education Unit, University of Groningen, Grote Rozenstraat 38, 9712 TJ, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marina Schoemaker
- Center for Human Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV, Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Sara Rozenblum
- Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, Department of Occupational Therapy, Laboratory of Complex Human Activity and Participation (CHAP), University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, 3498838, Haifa, Israel
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van den Bos N, Rosenblum S. The Underlying Mechanisms of Handwriting of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review. JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, SCHOOLS, & EARLY INTERVENTION 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/19411243.2022.2129900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nellie van den Bos
- Laboratory of Complex Human Activity and Participation (CHAP), Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel
| | - Sara Rosenblum
- Laboratory of Complex Human Activity and Participation (CHAP), Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel
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Kinematics and observer-animator kinematic similarity predict mental state attribution from Heider-Simmel style animations. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18266. [PMID: 34521902 PMCID: PMC8440512 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97660-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to ascribe mental states, such as beliefs or desires to oneself and other individuals forms an integral part of everyday social interaction. Animations tasks, in which observers watch videos of interacting triangles, have been extensively used to test mental state attribution in a variety of clinical populations. Compared to control participants, individuals with clinical conditions such as autism typically offer less appropriate mental state descriptions of such videos. Recent research suggests that stimulus kinematics and movement similarity (between the video and the observer) may contribute to mental state attribution difficulties. Here we present a novel adaptation of the animations task, suitable to track and compare animation generator and -observer kinematics. Using this task and a population-derived stimulus database, we confirmed the hypotheses that an animation’s jerk and jerk similarity between observer and animator significantly contribute to the correct identification of an animation. By employing random forest analysis to explore other stimulus characteristics, we reveal that other indices of movement similarity, including acceleration- and rotation-based similarity, also predict performance. Our results highlight the importance of movement similarity between observer and animator and raise new questions about reasons why some clinical populations exhibit difficulties with this task.
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Verma P, Lahiri U. Deficits in Handwriting of Individuals with Autism: a Review on Identification and Intervention Approaches. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40489-020-00234-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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May T, Mcginley J, Murphy A, Hinkley T, Papadopoulos N, Williams KJ, Mcgillivray J, Enticott PG, Leventer RJ, Rinehart NJ. A Multidisciplinary Perspective on Motor Impairment as an Early Behavioural Marker in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGIST 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ap.12225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tamara May
- Deakin Child Study Centre, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University,
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne,
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute,
| | - Jennifer Mcginley
- Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, University of Melbourne,
| | - Anna Murphy
- Clinical Research Centre for Movement Disorders and Gait, Monash Health,
| | - Trina Hinkley
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University,
| | - Nicole Papadopoulos
- Deakin Child Study Centre, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University,
| | - Katrina J Williams
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne,
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute,
- Developmental Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital,
| | - Jane Mcgillivray
- Deakin Child Study Centre, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University,
| | - Peter G Enticott
- Deakin Child Study Centre, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University,
| | - Richard J Leventer
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne,
- Murdoch Childrens Research Institute,
- Department of Neurology, Royal Children's Hospital,
| | - Nicole J Rinehart
- Deakin Child Study Centre, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University,
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Gamez Corral AS, Manning R, Wang C, Cisneros A, Meeuwsen HJ, Boyle JB. A Novel Approach to Enhancing Upper Extremity Coordination in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Mot Behav 2019; 52:311-317. [PMID: 31232185 DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2019.1618238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies examining children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have revealed kinematic markers highlighting deficits in the preparatory and online phases of upper extremity movements. In the following study, 12 children with high functioning ASD were first assessed (pre-test) on 15 trials of a reciprocal upper extremity Fitts Law target task by flexing and extending their right arm in the horizontal plane between two targets as fast and accurately as possible. Following the initial assessment, the children either continued with 30 additional trials of the target task (control) or were asked to track a sine wave template (experimental). All participants were then assessed on 15 trials of the target test (post-test). Results reveal that tracking the sine wave template during training not only produced faster movements compared to the control but also produced these movements in a more harmonic way.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rhonda Manning
- Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - Chaoyi Wang
- Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, Jilin University, Jilin Sheng, China
| | - Ana Cisneros
- Department of Kinesiology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - Harry J Meeuwsen
- Department of Kinesiology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - Jason B Boyle
- Department of Kinesiology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA.,Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
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Brandes-Aitken A, Anguera JA, Chang YS, Demopoulos C, Owen JP, Gazzaley A, Mukherjee P, Marco EJ. White Matter Microstructure Associations of Cognitive and Visuomotor Control in Children: A Sensory Processing Perspective. Front Integr Neurosci 2019; 12:65. [PMID: 30692921 PMCID: PMC6339953 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2018.00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: Recent evidence suggests that co-occurring deficits in cognitive control and visuomotor control are common to many neurodevelopmental disorders. Specifically, children with sensory processing dysfunction (SPD), a condition characterized by sensory hyper/hypo-sensitivity, show varying degrees of overlapping attention and visuomotor challenges. In this study, we assess associations between cognitive and visuomotor control abilities among children with and without SPD. In this same context, we also examined the common and unique diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tracts that may support the overlap of cognitive control and visuomotor control. Method: We collected cognitive control and visuomotor control behavioral measures as well as DTI data in 37 children with SPD and 25 typically developing controls (TDCs). We constructed regressions to assess for associations between behavioral performance and mean fractional anisotropy (FA) in selected regions of interest (ROIs). Results: We observed an association between behavioral performance on cognitive control and visuomotor control. Further, our findings indicated that FA in the anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC), the anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), and the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) are associated with both cognitive control and visuomotor control, while FA in the superior corona radiata (SCR) uniquely correlate with cognitive control performance and FA in the posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC) and the cerebral peduncle (CP) tract uniquely correlate with visuomotor control performance. Conclusions: These findings suggest that children who demonstrate lower cognitive control are also more likely to demonstrate lower visuomotor control, and vice-versa, regardless of clinical cohort assignment. The overlapping neural tracts, which correlate with both cognitive and visuomotor control suggest a possible common neural mechanism supporting both control-based processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Brandes-Aitken
- Neuroscape Center, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Joaquin A Anguera
- Neuroscape Center, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Yi-Shin Chang
- Neuroscape Center, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Carly Demopoulos
- Neuroscape Center, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Julia P Owen
- Neuroscape Center, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Adam Gazzaley
- Neuroscape Center, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Pratik Mukherjee
- Neuroscape Center, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Elysa J Marco
- Neuroscape Center, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, Physiology, Radiology, and Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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Schabos O, Hoffmann K, Enzi B, Juckel G, Mavrogiorgou P. Kinematic Analysis of Handwriting Movements in Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities with and without Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms. Psychopathology 2019; 52:346-357. [PMID: 31955169 DOI: 10.1159/000505073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Theory/calculation: Movement disorders such as disturbances of coordination, clumsiness, and hand-related stereotypies are a frequent phenomenon in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). Obsessive-compulsive symptoms are also common in persons with ID. Our aim was to investigate hand motor dysfunction in persons with ID with and without OCD, using a digitizing tablet and the kinematic analysis of handwriting and drawing movements. METHODS We examinedthe hand motor performance of 23 individuals (12 males, 11 females, 42.6 ± 13.7 years old) with ID of heterogeneous aetiology. All subjects were required to write a sentence and draw circles under various conditions. Kinematic parameters were calculated to quantify hand motion. RESULTS Individuals with ID exhibit serious hand motor impairments suggestive of bradykinesia, irregularity, and micrographia. More than half of our ID patients (60.9%) displayed obsessive-compulsive symptoms of moderate severity (Y-BOCS total score: 16.6 ± 8.3). Interestingly, the ID patients with OCD displayed smaller amplitudes of hand motor movements than did patients with no obsessive-compulsive symptoms, while differences observed in the writing and drawing concentric circles trials were significant. CONCLUSIONS The results of this pilot study support the use of kinematic analyses of handwriting movements to evaluate motor abnormalities in patients with ID and comorbid mental illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Schabos
- Department of Psychiatry, Ruhr University Bochum, LWL University Hospital, Bochum, Germany
| | - Knut Hoffmann
- Department of Psychiatry, Ruhr University Bochum, LWL University Hospital, Bochum, Germany
| | - Björn Enzi
- Department of Psychiatry, Ruhr University Bochum, LWL University Hospital, Bochum, Germany
| | - Georg Juckel
- Department of Psychiatry, Ruhr University Bochum, LWL University Hospital, Bochum, Germany,
| | - Paraskevi Mavrogiorgou
- Department of Psychiatry, Ruhr University Bochum, LWL University Hospital, Bochum, Germany
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Zhao H, Zheng Z, Swanson A, Weitlauf A, Warren Z, Sarkar N. Design of a Haptic-Gripper Virtual Reality System (Hg) for Analyzing Fine Motor Behaviors in Children with Autism. ACM TRANSACTIONS ON ACCESSIBLE COMPUTING 2018. [DOI: 10.1145/3231938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Fine motor skills, including grasping, manipulating, and reaching for objects, are a documented weakness for many children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, relatively less research has attempted to address these motor deficits, especially by taking advantage of advanced technology. To explore potential mechanisms for expanding accessibility to fine motor intervention for people with ASD, we present the design and implementation of a feasibility study of a novel Haptic-Gripper Virtual Reality System (Hg). Hg is capable of providing analysis and practice opportunities of fine motor skills in an adaptive and low-cost virtual environment with real-time auditory, visual, and haptic feedback. The Haptic Gripper in Hg can detect a user's grip force and hand location and provide haptic feedback to guide hand movement and grip control while completing several simple and engaging virtual fine motor tasks. We conducted a feasibility study with six children with ASD and six typically developing (TD) children and found that participants were interested in using the Haptic Gripper and could quickly get used to the system. Although the results are preliminary and limited, we observed medium to strong correlations between the proposed fine motor skill metrics and the scores achieved with a standardized fine motor skill test and improvements of participants in accuracy and steadiness of movement and force control. This study provides important guidance for future investigations of the Hg's potential for assessing and improving fine motor manipulation skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Zhao
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Zhaobo Zheng
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Amy Swanson
- Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Amy Weitlauf
- Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Zachary Warren
- Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Nilanjan Sarkar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
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Grace N, Johnson BP, Rinehart NJ, Enticott PG. Are Motor Control and Regulation Problems Part of the ASD Motor Profile? A Handwriting Study. Dev Neuropsychol 2018; 43:581-594. [PMID: 30124332 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2018.1504948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The primary aim of this study was to kinematically assess how children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) plan and control their handwriting actions. Forty-three boys aged between 8 to 12 years were included in the present analysis; 23 with ASD and 20 typically developing (TD) controls. Sophisticated objective and quantifiable assessment of movement metrics and dynamics was applied across a series of basic cursive handwriting sequences. Children with ASD demonstrated atypical control of handwriting metrics and dynamics, as well as significantly greater neuromotor noise relative to age-matched peers. They also engaged in less regular monitoring and regulation of their movement during the handwriting task. This study provides new insights into the way children with ASD plan and sequence their handwriting movements. Overall, results revealed that even at a basic level, children with ASD appear to have a breakdown in their ability to control and regulate their handwriting movements. This has important implications for the school-aged child who constantly engages in handwriting tasks within the classroom environment and provides insight into possible directions for future intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicci Grace
- a Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences , Monash University , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Beth P Johnson
- b Bellgrove Laboratory, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Psychological Sciences , Monash University , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Nicole J Rinehart
- c School of Psychology, Faculty of Health , Deakin University , Melbourne , Australia
| | - Peter G Enticott
- d Cognitive Neuroscience Unit and Deakin Child Study Centre, School of Psychology , Deakin University , Melbourne , Australia
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Godde A, Tsao R, Tardif C. Évaluer et caractériser l’écriture manuscrite dans le trouble du spectre de l’autisme. ENFANCE 2018. [DOI: 10.3917/enf2.182.0305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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Grace N, Enticott PG, Johnson BP, Rinehart NJ. Do Handwriting Difficulties Correlate with Core Symptomology, Motor Proficiency and Attentional Behaviours? J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 47:1006-1017. [PMID: 28083779 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-3019-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Handwriting is commonly identified as an area of weakness in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but precise deficits have not been fully characterised. Boys with ASD (n = 23) and matched controls (n = 20) aged 8-12 years completed a simple, digitised task to objectively assess handwriting performance using advanced descriptive measures. Moderate to large associations were identified between handwriting performance and attention, ASD symptoms and motor proficiency. The ASD group demonstrated significantly less smooth movements and significantly greater sizing variability and peak velocity relative to controls. These findings provide a clearer indication of the specific nature of handwriting impairments in children with ASD, and suggest a relationship with core clinical symptom severity, attention and motor behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicci Grace
- Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, 18 Innovation Walk, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia.
| | - Peter Gregory Enticott
- Deakin Child Study Centre, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia
| | - Beth Patricia Johnson
- Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, 18 Innovation Walk, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Nicole Joan Rinehart
- Deakin Child Study Centre, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia
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Cook J. From movement kinematics to social cognition: the case of autism. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:rstb.2015.0372. [PMID: 27069049 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The way in which we move influences our ability to perceive, interpret and predict the actions of others. Thus movements play an important role in social cognition. This review article will appraise the literature concerning movement kinematics and motor control in individuals with autism, and will argue that movement differences between typical and autistic individuals may contribute to bilateral difficulties in reciprocal social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Cook
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
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14
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Langmaid RA, Papadopoulos N, Johnson BP, Phillips J, Rinehart NJ. Movement Scaling in Children With ADHD-Combined Type. J Atten Disord 2016; 20:131-7. [PMID: 23900404 DOI: 10.1177/1087054713493317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to investigate motor performance in children with ADHD using a size-scaling handwriting task. METHOD In all, 14 male children with ADHD and 14 typically developing (TD) children (age 7-15) wrote 10-mm and 40-mm cursive letter "l." RESULTS Children with ADHD were unable to maintain their writing accurately at 40 mm, falling short by several millimeters; this was not evident in the TD children. Children with ADHD also had slightly faster and more fluent writing than TD children. CONCLUSION It was concluded that children with ADHD have difficulties scaling handwriting movement in the larger 40-mm condition that may reflect poor planning and modulation of movement, despite having faster and more fluent movements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicole Papadopoulos
- Monash University, Notting Hill, Victoria, Australia Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | | | | | - Nicole J Rinehart
- Monash University, Notting Hill, Victoria, Australia Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
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Green RR, Bigler ED, Froehlich A, Prigge MBD, Travers BG, Cariello AN, Anderson JS, Zielinski BA, Alexander A, Lange N, Lainhart JE. Beery VMI performance in autism spectrum disorder. Child Neuropsychol 2015; 22:795-817. [PMID: 26292997 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2015.1056131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Few studies have examined the visuomotor integration (VMI) abilities of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An all-male sample consisting of 56 ASD participants (ages 3-23 years) and 36 typically developing (TD) participants (ages 4-26 years) completed the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (Beery VMI) as part of a larger neuropsychological battery. Participants were also administered standardized measures of intellectual functioning and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), which assesses autism and autism-like traits. The ASD group performed significantly lower on the Beery VMI and on all IQ measures compared to the TD group. VMI performance was significantly correlated with full scale IQ (FSIQ), performance IQ (PIQ), and verbal IQ (VIQ) in the TD group only. However, when FSIQ was taken into account, no significant Beery VMI differences between groups were observed. Only one TD participant scored 1.5 standard deviations (SDs) below the Beery VMI normative sample mean, in comparison to 21% of the ASD sample. As expected, the ASD group was rated as having significantly higher levels of social impairment on the SRS compared to the TD group across all major domains. However, level of functioning on the SRS was not associated with Berry VMI performance. These findings demonstrate that a substantial number of individuals with ASD experience difficulties compared to TD in performing VMI-related tasks, and that VMI is likely affected by general cognitive ability. The fact that lowered Beery VMI performance occurred only within a subset of individuals with ASD and did not correlate with SRS would indicate that visuomotor deficits are not a core feature of ASD, even though they present at a higher rate of impairment than observed in TD participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan R Green
- a Department of Psychology , Brigham Young University , Provo , UT , USA
| | - Erin D Bigler
- a Department of Psychology , Brigham Young University , Provo , UT , USA.,b Neuroscience Center , Brigham Young University , Provo , UT , USA.,c Department of Psychiatry , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Alyson Froehlich
- c Department of Psychiatry , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Molly B D Prigge
- c Department of Psychiatry , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Brittany G Travers
- d Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior , University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA
| | - Annahir N Cariello
- c Department of Psychiatry , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Jeffrey S Anderson
- e Department of Radiology , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Brandon A Zielinski
- f Department of Pediatrics and Neurology, School of Medicine , University of Utah , Salt Lake City , UT , USA
| | - Andrew Alexander
- d Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior , University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA.,g Department of Medical Physics , University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA.,h Department of Psychiatry , University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA
| | - Nicholas Lange
- i Departments of Psychiatry and Biostatistics , Harvard University , Boston , MA , USA.,j Neurostatistics Laboratory , McLean Hospital , Belmont , MA , USA
| | - Janet E Lainhart
- d Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior , University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA.,h Department of Psychiatry , University of Wisconsin , Madison , WI , USA
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