Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Communication Deficits and the Motor System: Exploring Patterns of Associations in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have notable difficulties in motor, speech and language domains. The connection between motor skills (oral-motor, manual-motor) and speech and language deficits reported in other developmental disorders raises important questions about a potential relationship between motor skills and speech-language deficits in ASD. To this end, we examined data from children with ASD (n = 1781), 2–17 years of age, enrolled in the Autism Speaks—Autism Treatment Network (AS-ATN) registry who completed a multidisciplinary evaluation that included diagnostic, physical, cognitive and behavioral assessments as part of a routine standard of care protocol. After adjusting for age, non-verbal IQ, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication use, and muscle tone, separate multiple linear regression analyses revealed significant positive associations of fine motor skills (FM) with both expressive language (EL) and receptive language (RL) skills in an impaired FM subgroup; in contrast, the impaired gross motor (GM) subgroup showed no association with EL but a significant negative association with RL. Similar analyses between motor skills and interpersonal relationships across the sample found both GM skills and FM skills to be associated with social interactions. These results suggest potential differences in the contributions of fine versus gross motor skills to autistic profiles and may provide another lens with which to view communication differences across the autism spectrum for use in treatment interventions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Belmonte, M. K., Saxena-Chandhok, T., Cherian, R., Muneer, R., George, L. & Karanth, P. (2013). Oral motor deficits in speech-impaired children with autism. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 7, 47.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Benson, R. R., Whalen, D. H., Richardson, M., Clark, V., Lai, S., & Liberman, A. M. (2001). Parametrically dissociating speech and nonspeech perception in the brain using fMRI. Brain & Language, 78(3), 364–396.

  • Bhat, A. N., Galloway, J. C., & Landa, R. J. (2012). Relationship between early motor delay and later communication delay in infants at risk for autism. Infant Behavior and Child Development, 35(4), 838–846.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhat, A. N., Landa, R. J., & Galloway, J. C. (2011). Current perspectives on motor functioning in infants, children, and adults with autism spectrum disorders. Physical Therapy, 91(7), 1116–1129.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, D. V. M. (2001). Motor immaturity and specific language impairment: evidence for a common genetic basis. American Journal of Genetics, 114, 56–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brian, J., Bryson, S., Garon, N., Roberts, W., Smith, I., Szatmari, P., & Zwaigenbaum, L. (2008). Clinical assessment of autism in high-risk 18-month-olds. Autism, 12(5), 433–456.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Čeponienė, R., Lepisto, T., Shestakova, A., Vanhala, R., Alku, P., Näätänen, R., & Yaguchi, K. (2003). Speech-sound-selective auditory impairment in children with autism: they can perceive but do not attend. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 100(9), 5567–5572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colonnesi, C., Zijlstra, B. J., van der Zande, A., & Bogels, S. M. (2012). Coordination of gaze, facial expressions and vocalizations of early infant communication with mother and father. Infant Behavior & Development, 35(3), 523–532.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fadiga, L., Craighero, L., Buccino, G., & Rizzolatti, G. (2002). Speech listening specifically modulates the excitability of tongue muscles: A TMS study. The European Journal of Neuroscience, 15(2), 399–402.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fournier, K., Hass, C., Naik, S., Lodha, N., & Cauraugh, J. (2010). Motor coordination in autism spectrum disorders: A synthesis and meta-analysis. Journal of Autism & Other Developmental Disorders, 40, 1227–1240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galantucci, B., Fowler, C. A., & Turvey, M. T. (2006). The motor theory of speech perception reviewed. Psychonomin Bulletin & Review, 13(3), 361–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gernsbacher, M. A., Dauer, E. A., Geye, H. M., Schweigert, E. A., Hill, D., & Goldsmith, H. (2008). Infant and toddler oral- and manual-motor skills predict later speech fluency in autism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49, 43–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, E. L. (2001). Non-specific nature of specific language impairment: A review of the literature with regard to concomitant motor impairments. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 36, 149–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iverson, J. M., & Fagan, M. K. (2004). Infant vocal-motor coordination: precursor to the gesture-speech system? Child Development, 75(4), 1053–1066.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Iverson, J. M., & Wozniak, R. H. (2007). Variation in vocal-motor development in infant siblings of children with autism. Journal of Autism and Other Developmental Disorders, 37(1), 158–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kjelgaard, M. & Tager-Flusberg, H. (2001). An investigation of language impairment in autism: Implications for genetic subgroups. Language and Cognitive Processess, 16(2–3):287–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krishnan, S., Alcock, K. J., Mercure, E., Leech, R., Barker, E., Karmiloff-Smith, A., & Dick, F. (2013). Articulating novel words: Children’s oromotor skills predict nonword repetition. Journal of Speech, Language, & Hearing Research, 56, 1800–1812.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuhl, P. K., Ramirez, R., Bosseler, A., Liotos Lin, J, & Imada, T. (2014). Infants’ brain responses to speech suggest analysis by synthesis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(35), 12572–12573.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leary, M. R., & Hill, D. A. (1996). Moving on: Autism and movement and disturbance. Mental Retardation, 34, 39–53.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liberman, A. M., & Mattingly, I. G. (1985). The motor theory of speech perception revised. Cognition, 21(1), 1–36.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lloyd, M., MacDonald, M., & Lord, C. (2013). Motor skills of toddlers with autism spectrum disorders. Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, 17(2), 133–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lord, C., Rutter, M., DiLavore, P. C., & Risi, S. (2000). Autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS). Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald, M., Lord, C., & Ulrich, D. A. (2013). The relationship of motor skills and social communicative skills in school-aged children with autism spectrum disorders. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 30, 271–282.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McCleery, J. P., Elliott, N. A., Sampanis, D. S., & Stefanidou, C. A. (2013). Motor development and motor resonance difficulties in autism: relevance to early intervention for language and communication skills. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 7, 30.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Mody, M., & Belliveau, J. (2012). Speech and language impairments in autism: Insights from behavior and neuroimaging. North American Journal of the Medical & Sciences, 5(3), 157–161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mullen, E. M. (1995). Mullen scales of early learning. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Price, C. J., Wise, R. J., Warburton, E. A., Moore, C. J., Howard, D., Patterson, K., Frackowiak, R. S., & Friston, K. J. (1996). Hearing and saying. The functional neuro-anatomy of auditory word processing. Brain: A Journal of Neurology, 119(3), 919–931.

  • Provost, B., Lopez, B. R., & Heimerl, S. (2007). A comparison of motor delays in young children: autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay, and developmental concerns. Journal of Autism and Other Developmental Disorders, 37(2), 321–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, R. J. (1991). Causes and associations of severe and persistent specific speech and language disorders in children. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 33, 943–962.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, S. J. (2009). What are infant siblings teaching us about autism in infancy? Autism Research, 2(3), 125–137.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rothman, K. J. (1990). No adjustments are needed for multiple comparisons. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.), 1, 43–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shield, A. (2014). Preliminary Findings of Similarities and Differences in the Signed and Spoken Language of Children with Autism. Seminars in Speech & Language, 35(4), 309–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sparrow, S. S., Cicchetti, D. V., & Balla, D. (2005). Vineland adaptive behavior scales (2nd ed.). Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.

  • Studdert-Kennedy, M. (2000). Imitation and the emergence of segments. Phonetica, 57, 275–283.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tager-Flusberg, H. (2010). The origins of social impairments in autism spectrum disorder: Studies of infants at risk. Neural Networks, 23, 1072–1076.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Tierney, C., Mayes, S., Lohs, S., Black, A., Gisin, E., & Veglia, M. (2015). How valid is the checklist for autism spectrum disorder when a child has apraxia of speech. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 36(8), 569–574.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Webster, R. I., Erdos, C., Evans, K., Majnemer, A., Kehayia, E., Tordadottir, E., Evans, A., &  Shevell, M. I. (2006). The clinical spectrum of developmental language impairment in school-aged children: Language, cognitive and motor findings. Pediatrics, 118(5), 1541–1549.

  • Yirmiya, N., Gamliel, I., Pilowsky, T., Feldman, R., Baron-Cohen, S., & Sigman, M. (2006). The development of siblings of children with autism at 4 and 14 months: Social engagement, communication, and cognition. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 47(5), 511–523.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zatorre, R. J., & Binder, J. R. (2000). Functional and structural imaging of the human auditory system. In A. W. Toga & J. C. Mazziotta (Eds.), Brain mapping: The systems (pp. 365–402). San Diego: Academic Publishers.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by funding from the Autism Treatment Network/AIR-P (in response to RFA #: ATN-AIR-14-06) a cooperative agreement UA3 MC 11054 through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Research Program. The AS ATN Registry is supported by Autism Speaks. We would also like to thank the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation for their ongoing support of our research efforts.

Authors’ Contributions

MM, JOR, CMD conceived of the study, MM, LAN, JOR participated in its design, AMS performed the statistical analysis, SBG, CF participated in its coordination, MM drafted the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Athinoula A Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02129, USA

    M. Mody

  2. Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02129, USA

    A. M. Shui

  3. Lurie Center for Autism, Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Lexington, MA, 02421, USA

    M. Mody, L. A. Nowinski, S. B. Golas, C. Ferrone, J. A. O’Rourke & C. J. McDougle

Authors
  1. M. Mody
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. M. Shui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. L. A. Nowinski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S. B. Golas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. C. Ferrone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. J. A. O’Rourke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. C. J. McDougle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Mody.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mody, M., Shui, A.M., Nowinski, L.A. et al. Communication Deficits and the Motor System: Exploring Patterns of Associations in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). J Autism Dev Disord 47, 155–162 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2934-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2934-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation