Gross motor skills of children with autism

The purpose of this study was to measure the gross motor skills of children with autism, aged 3-5 years, and to compare their performances with the norms for the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2). Five participants, three girls and two boys, comprised the sample. The results revealed that differences exist in the gross motor skills of children with autism and without autism. Consistent with trends from the general population, differences were found between boys (n _ 2) and girls (n _ 3) with the largest differences found in the Gross Motor Development Quotient (GMDQ). Overall fundamental skill delays were demonstrated by four of the participants, placing them in the below average TGMD-2 performance category. The findings from this study support the need for therapeutic recreation specialists to provide appropriate recreational programs to improve the gross motor skills of young children with autism.