Language and Motor Development
Consider the role of language and assess for it. A-SODs’ perceptual
peaks in ability contrast with A-NoSoDs’ stronger language (Choido,
Majerus, & Mottron, 2017; Choido, Mottron, & Majerus, 2019; Duret et
al., 2018), although exceptions to these trends exist (Cheng, Lam, &
To, 2017). General difficulties with receptive language difficulties
account for whether autistic people struggle with understanding
figurative language (Gernbsbacher & Pripas-Kapit, 2012). Similarly,
ability to generalize in verbally fluent autistic children and
adolescents relates to receptive vocabulary but not age (de Marchena,
Eigsti, & Yervs, 2015). Therefore, general language learning appears to
play a significant role in the developmental catchup by A-SOD.
In contrast to gross motor skills’ relationship to general language
development in autistic people (Bedford, Pickles, & Lord, 2016),
oral-motor and fine motor delays in autistics’ infancy through early
childhood particularly relate to expressive language (Belmonte et al.,
2013; Gernsbacher et al., 2008; Iverson & Wozniak, 2007; LeBarton &
Iverson, 2013). This ability to spontaneously, precisely match another’s
movements in young autistic children predicts spoken language growth
(Stone & Yoder, 2001; Miniscalco et al., 2014). Similarly, many
autistic children have dyspraxia – poor manual dexterity to command
(e.g. gesture) use tools (e.g. control and share objects as in playing),
and consciously imitate (Dziuk et al., 2007). These difficulties
distinguish autistic children from the motor difficulties of ADHD
(MacNeil & Mostofsky, 2012) and even developmental coordination
disorder (Kilroy et al., 2022). Fine motor skills play a role in common
routes to joint engagement (Bhat, Landa, & Galloway, 2011; Jawal &
Ahktar, 2019), which promotes language development (Adamson et al.,
2019).
Responsive and imitative caregiving may help. When parents synchronize
or match their behavior (e.g., mirroring the child’s rhythm or pace) in
response to their autistic child’s, this predicts higher joint
engagement and child language (Gulsrud et al., 2016).