Correlation of Motor and Social Skills in Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Preliminary Findings Sabrina Martinez1, Jamie Holloway, PT, DPT, PhD, PCS2 1University of South Florida, Honors College, 2University of South Florida, School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences Sabrina Martinez Email: smartinez14@mail.usf.edu Contact Information 1. Baio J, Wiggins L, Christensen DL, et al. Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years -- Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2014. MMWR Surveillance Summaries. 2018;67(6):1- 23. 2. World Health Organization. The ICD-10 classification of mental and behavioral disorders: clinical descriptions and diagnostic guidelines. World Health Organization; 1992. 3. Downey R, Rapport MJ. Motor activity in children with autism: a review of current literature. Pediatric Physical Therapy. 2012;24(1):2-20. 4. Holloway JM, Long TM, Biasini F. Relationships Between Gross Motor Skills and Social Function in Young Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Pediatric Physical Therapy. 2018(3):184. References INTRODUCTION Twelve toddlers with ASD between the ages of 18 and 42 months were recruited for this study. Participant ages ranged from 25 to 41 months, with a mean age of 35 months. METHODS • Children with ASD who had higher motor scores generally had higher social scores. • Higher fine motor scores tended to be related to adult, peer, and self-concept and social role subtests. • Children with higher gross motor scores generally had higher peer interaction scores. • Findings may be related to the fact that children are often very active when they socialize, participating in activities which require both gross and fine motor skills. DISCUSSION • Motor skill levels of children with ASD were correlated with social functioning, as children who had better motor scores also had better social skills. • Correlation may be due to the importance of strong motor functioning for children to be able to socialize and engage in active pastimes with one another. • Results suggest that including intervention strategies for children with ASD which improve motor skills may also be beneficial for increasing social functioning, as these skills appear to be related. CONCLUSIONS Current research states that 1 in every 59 children has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (1). ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder which is characterized and diagnosed by poor social and communication skills as well as atypical repetitive behavior patterns (2). Emerging evidence suggests that ASD may also be linked to various motor impairments. Impairments of fine and gross motor skills prevent children with ASD from engaging in the same number and range of activities as their typically-developing peers (3). A previous study done has shown that motor skills are predictive of levels of social functioning as well as social participation (4). The purpose of this study was to investigate the connection between motor and social skills in toddlers diagnosed with ASD. RESULTS This research was supported by the Florida Physical Therapy Association through the Linda Crane Research Award. A special thank you also goes to Emily Shaffer- Hudkins, Marcela Galicia, Nicholas Smith, and Holland Hayfod for their assistance. Acknowledgements • More research will allow the disorder to be better understood, supporting development of earlier and more comprehensive intervention strategies for children with ASD. • Interventions which improve overall motor skills, such as physical therapy, could be useful for improving participation of children with ASD. FUTURE DIRECTIONS Participant Demographics Demographic Variable Number (%) Gender Male 7 (58) Female 5 (42) Race White/Caucasian 6 (50) African American 2 (17) Asian 1 (8) 2 or more races 3 (25) Ethnicity Non-Hispanic 10 (83) Hispanic 2 (17) Measures Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, Second Edition (PDMS-2) Used to measure fine and gross