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Sensori-motor and Daily Living Skills of Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Abstract

Sensori-motor development and performance of daily living skills (DLS) remain little explored in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The objective of this study was to determine the impact of sensori-motor skills on the performance of DLS in preschool children with ASD. Thirty-five children, 3–4 years of age, were recruited and assessed with a battery of diagnostic and clinical tests. Children showed atypical sensory responses, very poor motor and DLS. Sensory avoiding, an excessive reaction to sensory stimuli, and fine motor skills were highly correlated with DLS, even when cognitive performance was taken into account. Sensori-motor deficits have an impact on the autonomy of children with ASD and interventions should aim at improving and supporting the development of sensori-motor skills.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research grant #70333.(E. Fombonne’s TRAJ project) and through the Centre de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Readaptation, du Grand Montreal (CRIR). The authors gratefully acknowledge the participation of the parents and their children in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, 3630 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3G 1Y5

    Emmanuelle Jasmin, Mélanie Couture, Patricia McKinley & Erika Gisel

  2. Department of Psychiatry, The Montreal Children’s Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Mélanie Couture & Eric Fombonne

  3. Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Greg Reid

  4. Department of Pediatrics, The Montreal Children’s Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Erika Gisel

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  1. Emmanuelle Jasmin
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  2. Mélanie Couture
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  3. Patricia McKinley
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  4. Greg Reid
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  5. Eric Fombonne
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  6. Erika Gisel
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Correspondence to Erika Gisel.

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Jasmin, E., Couture, M., McKinley, P. et al. Sensori-motor and Daily Living Skills of Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 39, 231–241 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0617-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0617-z

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