Motor Function and Postural Control in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Summary
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is increasingly recognised to encompass motor impairments alongside its core social-communication features. Individuals with ASD frequently exhibit atypical gait patterns, impaired postural stability and altered sensorimotor integration. These difficulties arise from disrupted neural circuits involving the cerebellum, basal ganglia and sensory pathways and may manifest as reduced stride length, broader base of support, increased postural sway and delayed anticipatory postural adjustments. Motor symptoms can limit participation in daily activities, exacerbate anxiety and contribute to social isolation. Recent work has focused on characterising the biomechanics of gait, quantifying centre-of-pressure dynamics and exploring how postural control deficits relate to restricted and repetitive behaviours. Better understanding of these interconnections informs targeted interventions, from physiotherapy-based balance training to technology-assisted motor coaching, with the goal of improving functional independence and quality of life across the lifespan.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Motor Function and Postural Control in Autism Spectrum Disorder publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in motor function and postural control in autism spectrum disorder across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): a neurodevelopmental condition marked by challenges in social interaction, communication and repetitive-restricted behaviours, often accompanied by motor and sensory differences.
Postural Control: the regulation of body alignment and stability through coordinated muscle activity and sensory feedback to maintain balance during static and dynamic tasks.
Gait: the pattern of locomotion characterised by cyclical movements of the lower limbs and trunk, encompassing phases of stance and swing.
Centre of Pressure (COP): the point on the supporting surface where resultant ground reaction forces are applied, used to quantify postural sway and stability.
Balance: the capacity to maintain the body’s centre of mass over its base of support, involving integration of visual, vestibular and proprioceptive inputs.
References
- Balance Performance in Autism: A Brief Overview. Frontiers in Psychology (2018).
- A Comparative Evaluation of Gait between Children with Autism and Typically Developing Matched Controls. Medical Sciences (2017).
- Gait Deviations in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review. Autism Research and Treatment (2015).
- Relationship between postural control and restricted, repetitive behaviors in autism spectrum disorders. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience (2013).
- Postural control processes during standing and step initiation in autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (2020).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.