Goal Directed Locomotion and Balance Control in Autistic Children
Résumé
This article focuses on postural anticipation and multi-joint coordination during locomotion
in healthy and autistic children. Three questions were addressed: (1) Are gait parameters
modified in autistic children? (2) Is equilibrium control affected in autistic children? (3) Is
locomotion adjusted to the experimenter-imposed goal? Six healthy children and nine autistic
children were instructed to walk to a location (a child-sized playhouse) inside the psychomotor
room of the pedopsychiatric centre located approximately 5 m in front of them. A kinematic
analysis of gait (ELITE system) indicates that, rather than gait parameters or balance control,
the main components affected in autistic children during locomotion are the goal of the action,
the orientation towards this goal and the definition of the trajectory due probably to an
impairment of movement planning.