Children with autism undergo sensory issues among 5 senses visual, auditory, tactile, vestibular and proprioception. Those senses become an obstacle for the child with autism to develop or attain the normal milestone. they may have issues in running,jumping, sitting, walking and need to satisfy the senses. In this we focus on 2 primary senses that are proprioception and vestibular and where gross motor development plays the main role. child development depends on motor development into 2 (gross and fine motor skills).
gross motor skills plays a larger role from the initial period to end of life, where the development begins from 2 months of birth (head control) to 4 years (independent stair climbing). Those skills enhance balance, coordination, body awareness, motor planning, posture and gravitational security. The child who can attain those skills like standing, walking, running, jumping from the birth inculcated and made challenging with other advanced skills like hopping, one leg standing, obstacle crossing are taught and used in different ways to balance the sensory issues which sense is more important for gross motor.
therefore, there will be lack or over performance of particular gross motor skill which the child does in need to compensate for the sensory need. involving gross motor skills in autism will make a better improvement in balancing the sensory needs and along with that engaged children in further learning of other gross motor skills, where the child was lagging. The child who learned gross motor skills can be made functional with proper handling of sensory imbalance together organised and aligned by occupational therapists to engage children in the functional tasks which they undergo in day to day life.