Children on the autistic spectrum often have difficulties with posture, balance, coordination and motor planning.
Children with autism not only have limited social and communicative skills but also have motor abnormalities, such as poor timing and coordination of balance.
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) not only have communication and social difficulties, but also exhibit poor balance and motor control ability, which frequently affect daily activities. Effective balance and motor control rely on the integration of somatosensory, visual, and vestibular inputs.
The vestibular system is located in our inner ears. It helps to regulate our sense of balance and body control. When it isn't working typically, autistic people can be seriously affected. It can impede their understanding of what is happening to them and the world around them.
Children with autism are often clumsy, physically awkward or uncoordinated.
Children with ASD tend to augment their walking stability with a reduced stride length, increased step width and therefore wider base of support, and increased time in the stance phase. Children with ASD have reduced range of motion at the ankle and knee during gait, with increased hip flexion.
Seizures. Surprisingly, 1 in 4 children living with autism also has a seizure disorder. These episodes can range from brief spells of staring blankly to full-body convulsions. Fortunately, many seizure disorders respond positively to medical intervention.
The Triad of Impairments:
People with significant difficulties in all 3 areas (social interaction, communication and imagination) may have ASD. However, there can be other reasons for difficulties in these areas.
High-functioning autism means that a person is able to read, write, speak, and handle daily tasks, such as eating and getting dressed independently. Despite having symptoms of autism, their behavior doesn't interfere too much with their work, school, or, relationships.
Children with High Functioning Autism have a problem maintaining eye contact with the parent or caregiver. They may not respond to caregivers in the way other children do. They may not laugh or play with the same mannerisms.
Someone with level 3 autism may be non-verbal and be unable to engage with people. Sensory stimuli may be overwhelming. Cognitive deficits are common. Repetitive behaviors may be extreme and uncontrollable.
Accident-prone: Many people with autism are clumsy, which may be due to an overlap in brain regions implicated in motor function and autism.
Kids, like adults, may occasionally feel lightheaded or unsteady. But if such feelings repeat or interfere with everyday life, it could be a sign of a balance disorder. Most balance problems are temporary and easy to treat. But these problems may also signal a more serious condition that could have a lasting impact.
Neurological comorbidities are common in ASD and are associated with more severe phenotype, therefore warranting attention. Motor impairment includes both developmental delays and deficits, include stereotypies, dyspraxia, incoordination and gait impairments, and are often associated with cognitive impairment.
Autistic individuals prefer predictability, routines, and patterns, making sudden changes difficult. It bothers them greatly when unexpected changes occur, and they become very upset about it. For instance, HFA individuals may stick with routines developed for them by other people or themselves.
Long-term research that involved following a group of individuals with autism for two decades indicates that the average life expectancy for some autistic people is about 39 years. Furthermore, this population generally succumbed to health complications about 20 years earlier than individuals who do not have autism.
For parents of such children, communication is a problem that compounds the stress & anxiety of parents. Parents face the challenge that their child is unable to communicate their needs and wants. With children at times unaware of nonverbal communication and cues, the challenges of parenting get compounded.
The reality is that autistic children, while they may have many strengths, may have a very tough time with many neurotypical childhood expectations. Their verbal skills may be compromised, so high grades and perfect grammar may not be achievable.
People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention. It is important to note that some people without ASD might also have some of these symptoms.
Some developmental health professionals refer to PDD-NOS as “subthreshold autism." In other words, it's the diagnosis they use for someone who has some but not all characteristics of autism or who has relatively mild symptoms.