Kinematic Gait Differences in Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Liria Akie Okai-Nobrega^1,2Thiago Ribeiro Teles Santos³Prisicila Albuquerque Araujo⁴Clarissa Cardoso Santos Couto Paz⁵Bruna Avelar⁴Leticia Paes Silva⁴Alice Brochado Campolina⁴Ana Carolina Rodrigues Esteves de Rezende⁴Debora Marques Miranda⁴Marco Romano Silva⁴Hani Yehia⁴Adriano Vilela Barbosa⁴Ana Paula Pereira Lage²Sergio Teixeira Fonseca^4*

• ¹Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Faculdade de Odontologia, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
• ²Anamê Science and Technology in Children’s Health, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
• ³Universidade Federal de Uberlandia, Uberlândia, Brazil
• ⁴Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
• ⁵Universidade de Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is primarily characterized by differences in communication and social interaction, but motor impairments are also commonly observed, often emerging in early childhood. Understanding these motor characteristics may contribute to earlier identification and intervention. This study aimed to compare walking kinematics between autistic and non-autistic preschool-aged children. Methods: This observational cross-sectional study included 20 children aged 3 to 4 years (10 autistic and 10 non-autistic). Autism diagnoses were confirmed using DSM-5 criteria and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). Gait data were collected using a three-dimensional motion capture system with 41 passive markers as children walked independently over a 6-meter walkway at a self-selected speed. Spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters were analyzed using independent t-tests, Mann–Whitney U tests, and one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping (SPM). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: No significant differences were found between groups in spatiotemporal gait parameters. However, autistic children exhibited significantly greater hip abduction compared to non-autistic children at the beginning and end of the gait cycle. Conclusion: Differences in frontal plane hip kinematics may reflect a gait motor "signature" associated with autism in early childhood. These findings support the potential use of motion analysis as a quantitative tool to aid early identification and intervention strategies for autistic children.