Eureka! Institutional Repository

The aim of this study is to investigate the gross motor deficits of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and to evaluate the necessity of the contribution of physiotherapy in the therapeutic programs followed by children with ASD. Method: Ten children (5 to 10 years old) diagnosed with ASD participated in this study. The TGMD-3 scale, with additional visual support, was used in order to assess the children’s gross motor skills. Descriptive statistical and inferential analysis was performed on the results. Results: The measurements revealed that the participating children had a low total score on the TGMD-3 with an M.S. of 49.9. There were only 3 children in the sample who had attended physiotherapy, therefore a result of significant statistical significance could not be obtained. Conclusions: Gross motor deficits are a characteristic feature of children with ASD. Physiotherapy is not a widespread method of motor intervention for children with autism. Further studies should be conducted to investigate the effect of physical therapy programs on the mobility and development of children with ASD.