Sensorimotor variability distinguishes early features of cognition in toddlers with autism

The potential role of early sensorimotor features to atypical human cognition in autistic children has received surprisingly little attention given that appropriate movements are a crucial element that connects us to other people. We examined quantitative and observation-based movements in over 1,000 toddlers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with different levels of cognitive abilities (intelligence quotient, IQ). Relative to higher-IQ ASD toddlers, those with lower-IQ had significantly altered sensorimotor features. Remarkably, we found that higher IQ in autistic toddlers confers resilience to atypical movement, as sensorimotor features in higher-IQ ASD children were indistinguishable from those of typically developing healthy control toddlers. We suggest that the altered movement patterns may affect key autistic behaviors in those with lower intelligence by affecting sensorimotor learning mechanisms. Atypical sensorimotor functioning is a key feature in lower-IQ early childhood autism. These findings have implications for the development of individualized interventions for subtypes of autism.