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Limited Fine Motor and Grasping Skills in 6‐Month‐Old Infants at High Risk for Autism
Author(s) -
Libertus Klaus,
Sheperd Kelly A.,
Ross Samuel W.,
Landa Rebecca J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.12262
Subject(s) - autism , psychology , motor skill , context (archaeology) , developmental psychology , child development , psychomotor learning , autism spectrum disorder , cognition , neuroscience , paleontology , biology
Atypical motor behaviors are common among children with autism spectrum disorders ( ASD ). However, little is known about onset and functional implications of differences in early motor development among infants later diagnosed with ASD . Two prospective experiments were conducted to investigate motor skills among 6‐month‐olds at increased risk (high risk) for ASD ( N 1 = 129; N 2 = 46). Infants were assessed using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning ( MSEL ) and during toy play. Across both experiments, high‐risk infants exhibited less mature object manipulation in a highly structured ( MSEL ) context and reduced grasping activity in an unstructured (free‐play) context than infants with no family history of ASD . Longitudinal assessments suggest that between 6 and 10 months, grasping activity increases in high‐risk infants.