Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by a triad of clinical features which include lack of social interaction and communication, behavioral stereotypes, and a range of cognitive deficits. The presence of motor deficits has often been observed in the children with autism who are described as being clumsy or awkward in their movements. There is, however, considerable ambiguity related to universality, severity and exact nature of these motor difficulties. The objective of this study was to assess the movement characteristics of children with ASD and to place their motor dysfunction in the context of their functional independence in the performance of daily living skills. Seventeen children diagnosed with Autism or PDD-NOS in the age range of 5-11 years were recruited and assessed using two standardized tests of motor function; the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency - Second Edition (BOT-2; Bruininks 2005) and the Movement Assessment Battery for children (M ABC-2; Henderson, Sugden, & Barnett 2007) and a third assessment of functional independence in children WeeFIM (WeeFIM System, 1999). Most of the children showed movement characteristics that ranged from mild to severe impairment, though two children showed no motor difficulties. However, when compared, as a group, to age matched norms, it was noted that the motor skill performance of children with ASD was noticeably poorer. Marked impairments were observed in tasks that required manual dexterity, upper limb coordination, strength and agility. Children with ASD also showed greater functional disability compared to age-matched norms, however, their degree of motor dysfunction by itself did not correlate with their performance of daily living skills. This study provides invaluable insights into movement characteristics of children on the autism spectrum and highlights the need for including motor assessment as a routine investigation for children with autism. / text

Darbo tikslas - Įvertinti judesio ir padėties sutrikimų turinčių vaikų psichikos sveikatą bei psichologinės pagalbos prieinamumą Kauno apskrities ir Prienų specialiosiose mokyklose. Uždaviniai: 1)charakterizuoti 12–16 metų mokinių gyvenseną, susijusią su psichikos sveikata ir palyginti ją tarp Kauno apskrities ir Prienų specialiųjų mokykų; 2) įvertinti mokinių laimingumą ir kitus psichikos sveikatos rodiklius; 3) nustatyti psichologinės pagalbos prieinamumą specialiosiose mokyklose. Tyrimo metodika. Tyrimui pasirinkti Kauno apskrities ir Prienų specialiųjų mokyklų mokiniai, turintys judėjimo ir padėties sutrikimų (n= 80). Remiantis anketinės apklausos duomenimis, charakterizuota mokinių gyvensena, susijusi su psichikos sveikata ir palyginta tarp specialiųjų mokyklų. Įvertinti mokinių savijautos, laimingumo ir kiti psichikos sveikatos, bei suicidinių polinkių rodikliai. Nustatytas psichologinės pagalbos prieinamumas specialiosiose mokyklose. Duomenys buvo išanalizuoti naudojant kompiuterinį SPSS 13.0 versijos statistinį paketą. Rezultatai. Kauno apskrities ir Prienų specialiųjų mokyklų 12 – 16 metų judėjimo sutrikimų turinčių mokinių 67,5 proc. jau yra rūkę. Kiekvieną dieną rūko 43,8 proc. mokinių. Prienų mokykloje yra 2,5 karto daugiau rūkančių nei Kauno mokykloje. Alkoholinius gėrimus reguliariai vartoja 16,3 proc. mokinių. Reguliariai vartojančių alkoholinius gėrimus Prienų specialiojoje mokykloje yra 15 proc., Kauno apskrities specialiojoje mokykloje – 7,5 proc... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Aim of the study. To evaluate the psychological health and accessibility of psychological help for children with a movement and posture dysfunction from Kaunas Regional Special School and Prienai Special School. Objectives. 1) To describe the lifestyle related to the mental health of schoolchildren (age: 12-16 years) and compare it between Kaunas Regional Special School and Prienai Special School; 2) to measure happiness and other mental health indicators; 3) to determine the accessibility of psychological help in special schools. Methods. Schoolchildren with a movement and posture dysfunction from Kaunas Regional Special School and Prienai Special School were chosen for this study (n = 80). The results from a special questionnaire, which was issued to the children in both schools, were used to characterize and compare the lifestyle-elements which affect the mental health of the schoolchildren. The indicators of psychosomatic symptoms, happiness and other health and suicide tendencies were evaluated. The accessibility of psychological help in special schools was defined. The data was computed with SPSS 13.0 version statistical package. Results . 67,5 percent of schoolchildren between the age of 12 and 16 years with a movement and posture dysfunction from both Kaunas Regional Special School and Prienai Special School had already experimented with smoking. 43,8 percent of the schoolchildren are smoking every day. The amount of schoolchildren who are smoking in Prienai... [to full text]