Postural Control and Interceptive Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Main Authors: Wan-Chun Su, 蘇琬淳
• Other Authors: Li-Chiou Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/81506558482113215100

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 物理治療學研究所 === 103 === Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) represents a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by social communication deficits and restricted behaviors. Although not being considered as the core symptoms, a growing body of evidence confirms common motor deficits in children with ASD. Research suggests that motor deficits associated with ASD result from impaired sensory-motor integration in planning and control of the movements. Catching is a fundamental motor skill in many school and life activities and requires coordination between vision, posture, and arm movements. Although postural control and ball catching have been shown impaired in children with ASD, none has investigated how they are integrated. The purpose of this study was, using ball catching as a window, to investigate the sensory-motor integration processes in children with and without ASD. Fifteen children with ASD and 15 age- and gender-matched children with typical development were included in this study. In the experiment, children were required to catch a foam ball rolling down a ramp with two hands in standing position. There were 3 ramps, each directing to the child’s front at the center, 35° left, and 35° right to impose different postural demands for catching. Fifty percent of the trials were presented with a visual pre-cue, an arrow indicating the direction of the ball. Fifteen trials were tested for each of the 6 conditions. A total of 90 trials were arranged in 3 blocks, with ball directions and visual pre-cue conditions randomized within each block. An ultrasound-based motion capture system, a pressure plate, and a high speed camera were used to record children’s arm movements, postural adjustments and catching behaviors. Time to initiate primary movements of posture and arm, as well as the spatial and temporal measures of anticipatory postural adjustments were analyzed to assess motor planning processes. Amplitude, velocity and acceleration of the arm movements and postural adjustments were analyzed to assess the quality of motor control. Repeated measures 3-way ANOVAs were conducted to analyze the effects of group, ball direction, and visual cue condition on children’s catching performance. The results showed that children with ASD had difficulties catching the balls, especially those from the lateral directions. For motor planning processes, children with ASD, compared to TD peers, more frequently chose not to use visual information to guild their arm movements during catching and demonstrated less and delayed anticipatory postural adjustments. For motor control processes, children with ASD demonstrated arm movements with decreased smoothness and accuracy. Postural demands and visual pre-cues applied similar influence on most catching behaviors, except for the anticipatory postural adjustments, of both TD and ASD children. Children with ASD failed to alter their anticipatory postural adjustments to adapt to increase of postural demands and changes of visual cues. Our results suggest that motor difficulties related to ASD may lie in the sensory-motor integration in planning and control of movements. Based on our findings, clinical interventions for children with ASD should focus on the integration between motor components and its adaptation to task demands and sensory information.