Fine and gross motor performance of the MABC-2 by children with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing children

• Children with ASD are compared to their age-matched typically developing peers using the MABC-2.
• The motor delay persists across three constructs when comparing to typically developing children.
• The children with ASD are delayed in terms of their fine and gross motor skill development.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the fine and gross motor performance of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and age-matched typically developing children as measured by the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2). Thirty children with ASD (ages 3–16 years, male = 25, female = 5) and 30 age-matched typically developing children (male = 16, female = 14) performed the MABC-2. Group differences on MABC-2 percentile scores were analyzed using descriptive data and one-way ANOVAs. Effect sizes were also calculated for practical significance. Descriptive data showed that all typically developing children were classified in the green zone on MABC-2. However, the majority of children (80%) with ASD were categorized in the red and amber zones suggesting they experienced motor difficulty or were at risk for motor delay. In addition, children with ASD showed significantly lower MABC-2 percentile scores than the typically developing children on manual dexterity, ball skills, and static and dynamic balance, F(1, 59) = 109.043, p < .001, and the effect sizes were large (>.80). In conclusion, children with ASD were delayed in both fine and gross motor skill performance on MABC-2 when compared to their age-matched typically developing children.