| (Marko et al., 2015) |
40 children |
Aged between 8 and 12 years
20 – ASD
20 – TD
|
Changes in measurements of the volume of brain structures may be related to the learning patterns in relation to errors when analysed by a motor learning task in which reaching movements were affected. |
The increased sensitivity to proprioceptive error and a decreased sensitivity to visual error may be associated with abnormalities in cerebellum volume. |
2C
|
| (Izadi-Najafabadi et al., 2015) |
62 children |
Aged between 7 and 11 years
30 – ASD
32 – TD
|
This was the first study to evaluate both implicit and explicit motor learning using the same task which makes it possible to compare these two types of learning. For this, a version of the SRTT that alternates between repeating and random events was used; the test was able to hide the sequence and track the sequence-specific learning. |
Implicit motor learning is not affected in these children. Applying the findings of this study to cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance approach, the impaired explicit motor learning through the global strategy ''Plan'' and domain specific strategies can be supported by implicit approaches. |
3B
|
| (Travers et al., 2015) |
30 children and adults |
Aged between 17 and 23 years
15 – ASD
15 – TD
|
Recent behavioural studies on ASD and TD have shown similar motor learning in both groups. However, this study showed that individuals with ASD had less activation in areas associated with implicit learning because of possible explicit learning compensation. |
Individuals with ASD who had more severe repetitive behaviour/restricted interest symptoms demonstrated greater decreased activation in the right SPL and right precuneus regions during motor learning which can thus play an important role in motor learning and repetitive behaviour in individuals with ASD. |
3B
|
| (Johnson et al., 2013) |
36 children |
Aged between 9 and 14 years
10 – HFA
13 – ASD
12 – TD
|
This study contributes to a growing body of evidence centrally implicating the cerebellum in motor dysfunction in autism. HFA and ASD have overlapping etiologies, although they show distinctions that extend beyond their present diagnostic criteria of language and cognitive delay. |
This study makes an important contribution to our understanding of the nature of motor function, highlighting deficits in processing visual feedback and motor learning. These deficits were greater in HFA than in ASD. |
3B
|
| (Izawa et al., 2012) |
60 children |
Aged between 9 and 12 years
23 – ASD
17 – ADHD
20 – TD
|
It remains unclear whether the anomalous pattern of motor learning is specific to autism. For this purpose, the authors sought patterns of generalization in motor learning, comparing individuals with ASD, TD and individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), because the latter also have a development disorder. |
The findings suggest that there is a specific pattern of altered motor learning associated with autism. This is because the children with ASD show a slower rate of learning and an altered pattern of generalization that is predictive of impaired motor, imitation, and social skills. |
2C
|
| (Dowell et al., 2009) |
87 children |
Aged between 8 and 13 years
37 – ASD (HFA or AS)
50 – TD
|
Dyspraxia in autism seems to be associated with poor training of spatial representations as well as transcoding and execution. Abnormality distributed through parietal pre-motor, and a motor circuit, and the abnormal connectivity may be implicated. |
Surprisingly, children with autism did not show impaired performance on the transitive gestures score of the postural knowledge test (although there appears to be a statistical trend toward children with autism demonstrating worse recognition of transitive gestures); a lack of statistical power may be a contributing factor to this finding. |
2C
|
| (Gidley Larson et al., 2008) |
41 children |
Aged between 8 and 13 years
21 – HFA
20 – TD
|
Sparse adaptation suggests that alternate mechanisms contribute to the development of motor skills in autism. In addition, the findings may have therapeutic implications, especially for a reliable mechanism by which children with autism can more effectively change their behaviour. |
Children with autism demonstrated normal motor adaptation in a number of tasks that required acquisition of an internal model. |
4
|
| (Gidley Larson and Mostofsky, 2008) |
153 children |
Aged between 8 and 13 years
52 – HFA
39 – ADHD
62 – TD
|
Mechanisms underlying acquisition of novel movement patterns may differ in children with autism. The findings may help explain impaired skill development in children with autism and guide approaches for helping children learn novel motor, social, and communicative skills. |
Children with HFA showed differences in the pattern of visuomotor sequence learning and these differences persisted even after minimizing individual differences in motor execution. Evidence for specificity of this impairment is demonstrated in that children with ADHD did not show differences in the pattern of motor learning compared with a group of TD children. Detailed analysis revealed that while children with HFA showed similar gains across blocks of trials, they failed to show an expected decline in performance when an interfering pattern was introduced. |
2B
|
| (Wek and Husak, 1989) |
8 children |
Aged between 8 and 13 years
8 – ASD
|
Further research on the applicability of motor learning principles for special populations should be carried out using larger groups. |
Rotary pursuit tracking by autistic children does not appear to be identical to that of children without disabilities. As a result, traditional findings from the literature on massed and distributed practice are not totally applicable. Further research on the generalizability of motor learning principles to special populations is encouraged. |
4
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