Children with autism undergo sensory issues among 5 senses: visual, auditory, tactile, vestibular, and proprioception. These senses become an obstacle for the child with autism to develop or attain the normal milestones. They may have issues in running, jumping, sitting, walking, and satisfying the senses. In this, we focus on two primary senses that are proprioception and vestibular, and where gross motor development plays the main role. Child development depends on motor development into two (gross and fine motor skills).

Gross motor skills play a larger role from the initial period to the end of life, where the development begins from 2 months of birth (head control) to 4 years (independent stair climbing). These 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 birth are 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 a lack or overperformance of particular gross motor skills which the child does 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, engage 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 organized and aligned by occupational therapist to engage children in the functional tasks they undergo in day-to-day life.