Research on the relationship between motor function and core symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder

JIANG Yuanyuan; LIU Yuelin; SU Huixia; WANG Zhen; TAO Mingliang; HOU Danni

doi:10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0405

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Chinese Journal of Child Health Care ›› 2026, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (9) : 1014-1018. DOI: 10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0405

Child Development and Behavior

Research on the relationship between motor function and core symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder

JIANG Yuanyuan¹, LIU Yuelin², SU Huixia¹, WANG Zhen¹, TAO Mingliang¹, HOU Danni¹

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Abstract

Objective To explore the correlation of motor function with social communication disorders and repetitive stereotyped behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder(ASD), so as to provide theoretical reference for improving children's social function. Methods A total of 246 children with ASD (aged 2 - 12 years) who received services at Yulin Children's Hospital from January 2023 to January 2025 were selected, including 182 cases in the <6-year-old group and 64 cases in the ＞6-year-old group.Standardized tools were used for assessment: the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ) for motor function, the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) for social skills, the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R) for behavioral characteristics, and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) for symptom severity.After adjusting for confounding factors, multiple linear regression models were applied to analyze the correlation between motor function and core symptoms. Results The detection rate of motor dysfunction was 59.34% in the <6-year-old group and 28.13% in the ≥6-year-old group.Children with motor dysfunction had significantly higher scores on CARS, SCQ, and RBS-R than those without dysfunction (P<0.05).In the <6-year-old group, CARS and SCQ scores were negatively correlated with DCDQ scores (β=-0.035, -0.164, P<0.05); in the ≥6-year-old group, SCQ and RBS-R scores were negatively correlated with DCDQ scores (β=-0.204, -0.863, P<0.05). Conclusions Motor dysfunction is significantly correlated with the severity of core symptoms in children with ASD.It is recommended to incorporate motor function assessment into the routine screening system for ASD and strengthen motor intervention strategies in multidimensional rehabilitation programs.

Key words

autism spectrum disorder / motor function / core symptoms / social communication / stereotypical behavior

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JIANG Yuanyuan, LIU Yuelin, SU Huixia, WANG Zhen, TAO Mingliang, HOU Danni. Research on the relationship between motor function and core symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder[J]. Chinese Journal of Child Health Care. 2026, 34(9): 1014-1018 https://doi.org/10.11852/zgetbjzz2025-0405

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