Autistic stereotypes - movement and balance - "ministry of funny walks"!

Thank you for the responses everyone :-)

There seems to be a predominant response of movement, co-ordination and balance issues reported.

There is also some indication that there is a desire for improving capability in the areas with a further subset of those having mastery by training.

Either those who don't have problems in this area aren't interested in responding or the limited sample size doesn't give enough evidence.

Anyway, I'm taking this as some evidence to support movement, balance and co-ordination work being potentially useful for adult autistic people.

I'll carry on with that thought.

All the best :-)

Phased said:

Either those who don't have problems in this area aren't interested in responding or the limited sample size doesn't give enough evidence.

It may be more accurate to create a poll and ask everyone to participate - if one option is "I have no mobility issue" then you should capture these and get an idea of numbers.

There is an interesting research article on the subject that may be of interest:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10725993/

There is strong empirical evidence that autistic individuals have differences in motor behavior compared to neurotypical individuals.

These can be separated into two categories: motor stereotypies (e.g. hand flapping) and differences in motor control and motor coordination (e.g. postural instability, hand–eye coordination

Thanks Iain  :-)

I am, as it were, "trying the waters" on this topic.

To quote the article you kindly shared: "little is known about the long-term impact of decreased physical activity frequency and intensity across the lifespan of autistic individuals, or the specific physical, environmental, and social barriers they may encounter."

I believe that a poll of the type would indeed be a particularly informative thing to be done.

Much emphasis is made on cognitive, social and sensory differences for autistic people and little note is made for how movement difficulties might be correlated and indeed causative with what might be described as "disability".

There has long been a temptation in Western science to separate mind, body and (dare one say?) spirit.  Perhaps there is now a developing a capacity to see how these factors are inter-connected.  hehe albeit at a time when function of mind and body is increasing farmed out to machines!

I am of a mind that from a movement sense the human body is somewhat a vehicle that the potential for use of might be somewhat lost on many users...  Including, perhaps, in the same sense that other aspects of autism have long been unacknowledged (not least by such as myself who are late diagnosed and/or those with  "lower level" ASD - I use that term reservedly for a host of reasons...).

The potential for autistic people to "inhabit" themselves more satisfyingly through movement with all the potential benefits it carries is something I would like to encourage.  

All the best :-)

Thanks for sharing your insight Stuart333 I think that the importance of strategies that help calm the nervous system as part of the process of helping with movement are critical and your description of that I think helps confirm that .

The body moves using the nervous system. Dysregulation or overloading of this could affect movement.

I am not sure if you are interested in movement when regulated and calm, or when stressed.

When close to not being able to cope, through stress or pressure, a spike in adrenaline seems to make me a bit jerky. I couldn't walk normally a couple of months ago for a few minutes. But the issue quite temporary and I am not sure that is what you are after.

The body moves using the nervous system. Dysregulation or overloading of this could affect movement.

I am not sure if you are interested in movement when regulated and calm, or when stressed.

When close to not being able to cope, through stress or pressure, a spike in adrenaline seems to make me a bit jerky. I couldn't walk normally a couple of months ago for a few minutes. But the issue quite temporary and I am not sure that is what you are after.

Thanks for sharing your insight Stuart333 I think that the importance of strategies that help calm the nervous system as part of the process of helping with movement are critical and your description of that I think helps confirm that .