title: An examination of handedness and footedness in children with high functioning autism and Asperger syndrome.
abstract: Motor control deficits have been documented in children with high functioning autism and Asperger syndrome (HFA/AS), but the extent to which these disorders affect the children's footedness must be delineated. Twelve typically developing (TD) children and 12 children with HFA/AS, ages 6-9 years, were recruited. Motor control skills were assessed through a variety of footedness tasks to determine location and nature of impairment, regarding motor dominance. Overall, greater inconsistencies in dominance arose in children with HFA/AS, through disparities in measures of preference. Results will have broader implications for understanding motor impairments in children with HFA/AS as determined by comparing performance on footedness tasks, as well as for the design of interventions to account for these deficits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Markoulakis
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Scharoun
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Bryden
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D005528:Foot; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans