Investigating developmental cascades in autism: insights from neuroimaging and motor performance
Embargo Date
2026-08-19
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Both the brain and the individual’s environment contribute to the intertwined trajectory of developmental domains across the lifespan. The primary aim of this dissertation was to examine developmental cascades in autism through this combined perspective. First, we systematically investigated how neuroimaging techniques have been used to identify neuroanatomical and neurophysiological differences in infants with an elevated likelihood of developing autism. We found that, in addition to these distinct structural and functional differences, neuroimaging provides a novel opportunity to examine how these differences relate to developmental trajectories across a variety of domains. Second, we focused on assessing gross motor performance in autistic children within their home environment, and relating this performance to standardized measures of movement, adaptive behavior, and communication skills. We found notable levels of variability in gross motor performance, and significant relationships between these measures and measures of adaptive behavior. Finally, through an embodied cognition, developmental systems approach, we assessed the feasibility of using both neuroimaging and lab-based tasks to assess the relationship between cognitive and motor performance in autistic children. We designed and executed a novel study using functional near-infrared spectroscopy during a dual-task walking paradigm and found that, while the paradigm itself produces promising preliminary data, several aspects of the study design may need to be reconsidered in order to ensure feasibility across all participants. Combined, these findings suggest that we can best understand the relationships between developmental domains in autism through a multifaceted lens. This research provides foundational groundwork for comprehensive autism research methods and paves the way for identifying and supporting autistic children’s individual differences, both across the spectrum and within intersecting developmental domains.
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Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International