Untrivial Pursuit: Measuring Motor Procedures Learning in Children with Autism

Numerous studies have underscored prevalence of motor impairments in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but only few of them have analyzed motor strategies exploited by ASD children when learning a new motor procedure. To evaluate motor procedure learning and performance strategies in both ASD and typically developing (TD) children, we built a virtual pursuit rotor (VPR) task, requiring tracking a moving target on a computer screen using a digitalized pen and tablet. Procedural learning was measured as increased time on target (TT) across blocks of trials on the same day and consolidation was assessed after a 24-hour rest. The program and the experimental setting (evaluated in a first experiment considering two groups of TD children) allowed also measures of continuous time on target (CTT), distance from target (DT) and distance from path (DP), as well as 2D reconstructions of children's trajectories. Results showed that the VPR was harder for children with ASD than for TD controls matched for chronological age and intelligence quotient, but both groups displayed comparable motor procedure learning (i.e., similarly incremented their TT). However, closer analysis of CTT, DT, and DP as well as 2D trajectories, showed different motor performance strategies in ASD, highlighting difficulties in overall actions planning. Data underscore the need for deeper investigations of motor strategies exploited by children with ASD when learning a new motor procedure.

Tipo Pubblicazione: 
Articolo
Author or Creator: 
Sparaci, Laura
Formica, Domenico
Lasorsa, Francesca Romana
Mazzone, Luigi
Valeri, Giovanni
Vicari, Stefano
Publisher: 
Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Hoboken, NJ , Stati Uniti d'America
Source: 
Autism research (2015). doi:10.1002/aur.1455
info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Sparaci, Laura; Formica, Domenico; Lasorsa, Francesca Romana; Mazzone, Luigi; Valeri, Giovanni; Vicari, Stefano/titolo:Untrivial Pursuit: Measuring Motor Procedures Learning in Children with Autism/doi:10.1002/aur.1455/rivista:A
Date: 
2015
Resource Identifier: 
http://www.cnr.it/prodotto/i/317339
https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aur.1455
info:doi:10.1002/aur.1455
http://www.scopus.com/record/display.url?eid=2-s2.0-84921950363&origin=inward
Language: 
Eng
ISTC Author: 
Ritratto di Laura Sparaci
Real name: