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Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Published in: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Research

Development of fine motor skills is associated with expressive language outcomes in infants at high and low risk for autism spectrum disorder

Authors: Boin Choi, Kathryn A. Leech, Helen Tager-Flusberg, Charles A. Nelson

Published in: Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders | Issue 1/2018

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Abstract

Background

A growing body of research suggests that fine motor abilities are associated with skills in a variety of domains in both typical and atypical development. In this study, we investigated developmental trajectories of fine motor skills between 6 and 24 months in relation to expressive language outcomes at 36 months in infants at high and low familial risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Methods

Participants included 71 high-risk infants without ASD diagnoses, 30 high-risk infants later diagnosed with ASD, and 69 low-risk infants without ASD diagnoses. As part of a prospective, longitudinal study, fine motor skills were assessed at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of age and expressive language outcomes at 36 months using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning. Diagnosis of ASD was determined at the infant’s last visit to the lab (18, 24, or 36 months) using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule.

Results

Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that high-risk infants who later developed ASD showed significantly slower growth in fine motor skills between 6 and 24 months, compared to their typically developing peers. In contrast to group differences in growth from age 6 months, cross-sectional group differences emerged only in the second year of life. Also, fine motor skills at 6 months predicted expressive language outcomes at 3 years of age.

Conclusions

These results highlight the importance of utilizing longitudinal approaches in measuring early fine motor skills to reveal subtle group differences in infancy between ASD high-risk and low-risk infant populations and to predict their subsequent language outcomes.
Appendix
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Footnotes
1
LRC mothers demonstrated the highest levels of maternal education. Although our sample as a whole was recruited from a relatively high socioeconomic area of greater New England area, our LRC families, in particular, had unusually high levels of maternal education. Specifically, the majority of mothers of LRC infants (60 out of 62 families; 97%) had at least four-year college degree, and the remaining two families (3%) indicated community college/two-year degree as the highest education level attained.
 
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Metadata
Title
Development of fine motor skills is associated with expressive language outcomes in infants at high and low risk for autism spectrum disorder
Authors
Boin Choi
Kathryn A. Leech
Helen Tager-Flusberg
Charles A. Nelson
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders / Issue 1/2018
Print ISSN: 1866-1947
Electronic ISSN: 1866-1955
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-018-9231-3

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