Child Neurologists Have Gaps in Awareness of Motor Impairments in ASD

FRIDAY, Oct. 17, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Among child neurologists, there are considerable gaps in awareness about motor impairments in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a study published in the October issue of Pediatric Neurology.

Harika Kottakota, M.D., from the University of California in Los Angeles, and colleagues surveyed 100 child neurologists on their knowledge of and clinical practices addressing motor impairments in pediatric patients with ASD. Potential barriers to care and medical education efforts that may mitigate existing gaps were identified.

The researchers found that most child neurologists were not confident that motor impairments were an associated feature of ASD, with only 36 percent identifying motor impairments as associated deficits of ASD. Most child neurologists did not report frequently assessing motor impairments and lacked adequate tools for motor evaluation for children with autism, with 58 of those surveyed reporting that they perform motor evaluations in patients with ASD at least half of the time and only 5 percent reporting that they use standardized assessments to assess motor functioning in this group of patients. They also reported facing multiple barriers to providing interventions, and 69 percent reported almost no exposure or minimal exposure to understanding motor function in patients with autism during postgraduate medical training.

“We need to ensure that training on the assessment of unique motor difficulties in autistic individuals is well developed during medical school and residency training,” coauthor Rujuta B. Wilson, M.D., from the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment in Los Angeles, said in a statement. “There are important considerations when working with this population, including sensory sensitivities, language differences, and behavioral challenges, and there are strategies and support that can be used to ensure autistic individuals receive the most comprehensive care.”

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