Sensorimotor synchronization in children with autism spectrum disorder: The role of timing and modality.

Researchers tested finger-tapping timing skills in children with autism compared to other children. Children with autism had more difficulty keeping steady timing, especially over longer periods, and struggled more with combining different types of sensory information. However, when given multiple types of sensory cues together, children with autism could improve their timing. This research suggests timing training might help children with autism develop better coordination skills.

This controlled study examined sensorimotor synchronization abilities in 21 high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to 21 typically developing children using a finger-tapping task. Results revealed that children with ASD showed greater timing difficulties (asynchrony) at longer time intervals and reduced efficiency in integrating multisensory information. However, children with ASD could benefit from multisensory cues to improve synchronization performance at longer intervals. Performance correlated with IQ measures including fluid reasoning and visual-spatial abilities.

The findings provide insights into timing mechanisms in autism and suggest potential for targeted sensorimotor training interventions.

Results suggest sensorimotor synchronization training using multisensory cues may benefit children with autism, particularly for sustained timing tasks. Interventions should consider individual cognitive profiles including visual-spatial and reasoning abilities when designing timing-based therapeutic approaches.

Small sample size of 42 children total. Study limited to high-functioning children with ASD, limiting generalizability. Cross-sectional design prevents understanding of developmental changes. Mechanism underlying timing difficulties remains unclear despite study aims.

Impaired sensorimotor synchronization is observed in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet the underlying mechanism of this impairment remains unclear. The current study investigated the impact of the inter-stimulus interval and the modality of stimulus on synchronization performance in children with ASD. Twenty-one high-functioning children with ASD and 21 typically developing (TD) children participated in a finger-tapping task. There were no significant group differences in age, gender, or IQ.

Results showed that children with ASD exhibited greater asynchrony at longer time intervals and lower efficiency in multisensory integration compared to TD children. Notably, children with ASD were able to benefit from multisensory cues to improve their sensorimotor synchronization at longer intervals. Children's synchronization performance was correlated with total IQ, fluid reasoning, and visual spatial ability. These findings shed light on the underlying mechanism of atypical synchronization in children with ASD and provide a new avenue for developing targeted training on sensorimotor synchronization for children with ASD.