Recent study by Oregon State University researchers highlighted the ways motor skills and cognitive skills develop in connection with each other in young children with autism

Eugene, OR – According to the statement, the study reportedly found an opportunity for behavioral and physical therapists to work together to improve care.

When assessing, diagnosing and providing services for young children with autism, providers are often siloed from each other, MacDonald said.

Occupational and physical therapists focus on fine and gross motor skills, while behavioral therapists focus on emotional regulation and executive function.

But in many situations, the two sides depend on each other, she said. Fine motor skills are closely linked to cognition, such as the combination of moves kids must remember and perform in the correct order to write their name.

The gross motor skills used in a playground game of kickball work in tandem with the social and emotional skills used to interact with other students and work as a team.

To investigate these connections and their practical implications, the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, surveyed the families of 172 children with autism between the ages of 4 and 7.