Abstract
Difficulties in motor development, with implications for motor dominance and performance, have been well documented in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In addition, caregivers of children with ASD often report caregiver burden, although benefits to their experiences also do exist. Possible links between the motor development of children with ASD and the experiences of their caregivers have yet to be explored. Five children (2 male, 3 female, ages 6-8) with ASD participated in the following tasks to assess motor performance and dominance: the WatHand Cabinet Test, involving a series of unimanual tasks; the Large and Small Grooved Pegboard, involving placing a series of pegs into key-shaped holes; Eyedness Tasks, such as looking through a tube with one eye; and Footedness Tasks, such as kicking a ball. The five married female primary caregivers (ages 35-46) of these children participated in one-on-one, semi-structured interviews regarding the costs and benefits of their experiences, as well as their perceptions of their children’s functioning. Caregivers of children with more clearly defined motor dominance and better performance had often accessed services for their children (such as occupational therapy), and also experienced fewer day-to-day struggles with regards to their children’s overall functioning. Caregivers of children with greater motor impairment and more ambiguous motor dominance were more likely to report difficulties managing their children’s everyday routines and express concerns over their children’s functioning. Results have implications for understanding how differences in motor ability in children with ASD manifest in caregiver experiences.Acknowledgments: NSERC