Relationship between motor skill impairment and severity in children with Asperger syndrome

This study examined the correlation between severity and motor impairment in children with Asperger syndrome (AS). Children, ages 6–12 with AS (N = 51) and a control group of typical children (N = 56), were assessed using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and the Movement Assessment Battery For Children (MABC). A bivariate correlational design was used to compare the scores (Spearman rank correlational coefficient). Significant differences were seen between typical, mild to moderate and severe categories of SRS scores, based on the Kruskal–Wallis one-way analysis of variance by ranks (p < .05). Strong correlations were found between the MABC motor impairment levels and the SRS severity levels. This study adds a clearer understanding of the relationship between motor impairment and severity for children with AS. The degree of correlation indicates that motor skill impairment is a function of severity within AS.