Challenges with motor coordination drive differences in imitation and learning in children with autism, research reveals

The ability to imitate gestures is key to learning from others and it helps foster social interactions. Children with autism, however, tend to imitate less often and less accurately than peers without autism. For example, while watching a parent knead bread, a typical child might pretend to do it alongside mom or dad, but the child with autism might not copy at all, or might miss some nuances, such as how the thumbs move in the process.

Why imitation is altered in autism is poorly understood and may involve multiple domains known to be altered in autism, such as attention, sensory perception and motor coordination.

A recently published study – the largest to date – led by researchers from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago found that impaired motor coordination is the primary driver of autism-related differences in imitation ability, with other overlapping causes contributing to a lesser degree.

“Not all children with autism have motor differences, but this is a common feature and may manifest in challenges with balance, impacting how a child walks, or in impaired fine motor skills needed for handwriting,” said lead author Sean McWeeny, PhD, a research scientist in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Lurie Children’s.

The study included data on more than 700 children, 7- to 12-years-old, with and without autism. Children with autism in the study did not have intellectual disability. The data were collected between 2000 and 2020.

“Our research findings suggest that early efforts to improve motor skills in children with autism who don’t have intellectual disability might improve their ability to imitate, which may boost their capacity for learning and social interactions,” explained senior author Joshua Ewen, MD, Head of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He holds the Irene Heinz Given and John La Porte Given Research Professorship in Pediatrics at Lurie Children’s.

“The motor system is extremely adaptable in children with and without autism,” added Dr. McWeeny. “All children learn a tremendous amount of coordination in the first five years of life, going from not being able to support their own head, to running full speed around the living room. For children with autism, more effort may be needed to learn motor skills necessary for daily activities, such as dressing. An occupational therapist may be required. Insights from our research can guide efforts to support skill learning in children with autism.”