Autism as a developmental disorder in intentional movement and affective engagement
We review evidence that autistic spectrum disorders have their origin in early, prenatal failure of development in systems that program timing, serial coordination and prospective control of movements and that regulate affective evaluations of experiences. There are effects in early infancy, before...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2013-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnint.2013.00049/full |
| _version_ | 1818858308830756864 |
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| author | COLWYN eTREVARTHEN Jonathan T. Delafield-Butt |
| author_facet | COLWYN eTREVARTHEN Jonathan T. Delafield-Butt |
| author_sort | COLWYN eTREVARTHEN |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We review evidence that autistic spectrum disorders have their origin in early, prenatal failure of development in systems that program timing, serial coordination and prospective control of movements and that regulate affective evaluations of experiences. There are effects in early infancy, before medical diagnosis, especially in motor sequencing, selective or exploratory attention, affective expression and intersubjective engagement with parents. These are followed by retardation of cognitive development and language learning in the second or third year, which lead to a diagnosis of ASD. The early signs relate to abnormalities that have been found in brain stem systems and cerebellum in the embryo or early foetal stage, before the cerebral neocortex is functional, and they have clear consequences in infancy when neocortical systems are intensively elaborated. We propose, with evidence of the disturbances of posture, locomotion and prospective motor control in children with autism, as well as facial expression of interest and affect, and attention to other persons’ expressions, that examination of the psychobiology of motor affective disorders, rather than later developing cognitive or linguistic ones, may facilitate early diagnosis. Research in this area may also explain how intense interaction, imitation or ‘expressive art’ therapies, which respond intimately with motor activities, are effective at later stages. Exceptional talents of some autistic people may be acquired compensations for basic problems with expectant self-regulations of movement, attention and emotion. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T08:54:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-28a685a11aff4403a88b534b1474e229 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5145 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T08:54:14Z |
| publishDate | 2013-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-28a685a11aff4403a88b534b1474e2292022-12-21T20:28:39ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience1662-51452013-07-01710.3389/fnint.2013.0004951302Autism as a developmental disorder in intentional movement and affective engagementCOLWYN eTREVARTHEN0Jonathan T. Delafield-Butt1The University of EdinburghUniversity of StrathclydeWe review evidence that autistic spectrum disorders have their origin in early, prenatal failure of development in systems that program timing, serial coordination and prospective control of movements and that regulate affective evaluations of experiences. There are effects in early infancy, before medical diagnosis, especially in motor sequencing, selective or exploratory attention, affective expression and intersubjective engagement with parents. These are followed by retardation of cognitive development and language learning in the second or third year, which lead to a diagnosis of ASD. The early signs relate to abnormalities that have been found in brain stem systems and cerebellum in the embryo or early foetal stage, before the cerebral neocortex is functional, and they have clear consequences in infancy when neocortical systems are intensively elaborated. We propose, with evidence of the disturbances of posture, locomotion and prospective motor control in children with autism, as well as facial expression of interest and affect, and attention to other persons’ expressions, that examination of the psychobiology of motor affective disorders, rather than later developing cognitive or linguistic ones, may facilitate early diagnosis. Research in this area may also explain how intense interaction, imitation or ‘expressive art’ therapies, which respond intimately with motor activities, are effective at later stages. Exceptional talents of some autistic people may be acquired compensations for basic problems with expectant self-regulations of movement, attention and emotion.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnint.2013.00049/fullCommunicationEducationLearningautismInfancytherapy |
| spellingShingle | COLWYN eTREVARTHEN Jonathan T. Delafield-Butt Autism as a developmental disorder in intentional movement and affective engagement Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience Communication Education Learning autism Infancy therapy |
| title | Autism as a developmental disorder in intentional movement and affective engagement |
| title_full | Autism as a developmental disorder in intentional movement and affective engagement |
| title_fullStr | Autism as a developmental disorder in intentional movement and affective engagement |
| title_full_unstemmed | Autism as a developmental disorder in intentional movement and affective engagement |
| title_short | Autism as a developmental disorder in intentional movement and affective engagement |
| title_sort | autism as a developmental disorder in intentional movement and affective engagement |
| topic | Communication Education Learning autism Infancy therapy |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnint.2013.00049/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT colwynetrevarthen autismasadevelopmentaldisorderinintentionalmovementandaffectiveengagement AT jonathantdelafieldbutt autismasadevelopmentaldisorderinintentionalmovementandaffectiveengagement |