View in EDS

Shared Challenges and Unique Strategies: A Comparison of Sensory Organization Mechanisms and Strategies for Postural Control in Neurodivergent Children

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Shared Challenges and Unique Strategies: A Comparison of Sensory Organization Mechanisms and Strategies for Postural Control in Neurodivergent Children
Language: English
Authors: Crystal E. Alvarez (ORCID 0009-0008-1223-4396), Mary Ocampo-Plazas (ORCID 0000-0003-2854-1581), Yungfei Kao (ORCID 0009-0007-5185-008X), Mark Ricard (ORCID 0000-0002-7875-4350), Priscila Tamplain (ORCID 0000-0003-2713-5733)
Source: Journal of Motor Learning and Development. 2026 14(1).
Availability: Human Kinetics, Inc. 1607 North Market Street, Champaign, IL 61820. Tel: 800-474-4457; Fax: 217-351-1549; e-mail: info@hkusa.com; Web site: https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jmld/jmld-overview.xml
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Human Posture, Children, Adolescents, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Developmental Disabilities, Psychomotor Skills, Age Differences, Perceptual Impairments, Perceptual Motor Coordination
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Movement Assessment Battery for Children
DOI: 10.1123/jmld.2025-0073
ISSN: 2325-3193
2325-3215
Abstract: Neurodivergent children, particularly autistic and those with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), often have challenges with postural control. Here, we compared aspects of postural control using the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) in 75 children (male = 49 and female = 26) aged 5-16 years: 25 autistic (M = 8.7, SD = 2.5), 25 with DCD (M = 8.3, SD = 3.1), and 25 neurotypical (NT) controls (M = 9.4, SD = 2.9). The SOT yields anterior/posterior sway (equilibrium scores), strategies used to maintain sway (strategy score [SS]), and sensory organization (ratios). A general linear model analysis revealed significant group differences. Autistic children and those with DCD demonstrated significantly lower equilibrium across all SOT conditions compared with NT peers (p < 0.05). For SSs, children with DCD did not differ from NT peers in the eyes-open, quiet-stance condition but showed significantly lower SSs in all other SOT conditions (p < 0.05). Autistic children exhibited significantly lower SSs across all SOT conditions (p < 0.05). Age as a covariate was a significant predictor of equilibrium scores (p < 0.05) but not SSs. Sensory organization analysis indicated that autistic children had significantly lower visual and vestibular ratios compared with NT peers (p < 0.05), whereas children with DCD displayed ratios comparable to NT peers. In conclusion, both neurodivergent groups showed reduced anterior-posterior sway maintenance capabilities but differed in the strategies and sensory mechanisms used to maintain posture.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1508790
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1508790
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Shared Challenges and Unique Strategies: A Comparison of Sensory Organization Mechanisms and Strategies for Postural Control in Neurodivergent Children
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Crystal+E%2E+Alvarez%22&quot;&gt;Crystal E. Alvarez&lt;/searchLink&gt; (ORCID &lt;externalLink term=&quot;https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1223-4396&quot;&gt;0009-0008-1223-4396&lt;/externalLink&gt;)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Mary+Ocampo-Plazas%22&quot;&gt;Mary Ocampo-Plazas&lt;/searchLink&gt; (ORCID &lt;externalLink term=&quot;https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2854-1581&quot;&gt;0000-0003-2854-1581&lt;/externalLink&gt;)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Yungfei+Kao%22&quot;&gt;Yungfei Kao&lt;/searchLink&gt; (ORCID &lt;externalLink term=&quot;https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5185-008X&quot;&gt;0009-0007-5185-008X&lt;/externalLink&gt;)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Mark+Ricard%22&quot;&gt;Mark Ricard&lt;/searchLink&gt; (ORCID &lt;externalLink term=&quot;https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7875-4350&quot;&gt;0000-0002-7875-4350&lt;/externalLink&gt;)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Priscila+Tamplain%22&quot;&gt;Priscila Tamplain&lt;/searchLink&gt; (ORCID &lt;externalLink term=&quot;https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2713-5733&quot;&gt;0000-0003-2713-5733&lt;/externalLink&gt;)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;SO&quot; term=&quot;%22Journal+of+Motor+Learning+and+Development%22&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Journal of Motor Learning and Development&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/searchLink&gt;. 2026 14(1).
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Human Kinetics, Inc. 1607 North Market Street, Champaign, IL 61820. Tel: 800-474-4457; Fax: 217-351-1549; e-mail: info@hkusa.com; Web site: https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jmld/jmld-overview.xml
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 14
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles&lt;br /&gt;Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Neurodevelopmental+Disorders%22&quot;&gt;Neurodevelopmental Disorders&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Human+Posture%22&quot;&gt;Human Posture&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Children%22&quot;&gt;Children&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Adolescents%22&quot;&gt;Adolescents&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Autism+Spectrum+Disorders%22&quot;&gt;Autism Spectrum Disorders&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Developmental+Disabilities%22&quot;&gt;Developmental Disabilities&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Psychomotor+Skills%22&quot;&gt;Psychomotor Skills&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Age+Differences%22&quot;&gt;Age Differences&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Perceptual+Impairments%22&quot;&gt;Perceptual Impairments&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Perceptual+Motor+Coordination%22&quot;&gt;Perceptual Motor Coordination&lt;/searchLink&gt;
– Name: SubjectThesaurus
  Label: Assessment and Survey Identifiers
  Group: Su
  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;SU&quot; term=&quot;%22Movement+Assessment+Battery+for+Children%22&quot;&gt;Movement Assessment Battery for Children&lt;/searchLink&gt;
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1123/jmld.2025-0073
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 2325-3193&lt;br /&gt;2325-3215
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Neurodivergent children, particularly autistic and those with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), often have challenges with postural control. Here, we compared aspects of postural control using the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) in 75 children (male = 49 and female = 26) aged 5-16 years: 25 autistic (M = 8.7, SD = 2.5), 25 with DCD (M = 8.3, SD = 3.1), and 25 neurotypical (NT) controls (M = 9.4, SD = 2.9). The SOT yields anterior/posterior sway (equilibrium scores), strategies used to maintain sway (strategy score [SS]), and sensory organization (ratios). A general linear model analysis revealed significant group differences. Autistic children and those with DCD demonstrated significantly lower equilibrium across all SOT conditions compared with NT peers (p &lt; 0.05). For SSs, children with DCD did not differ from NT peers in the eyes-open, quiet-stance condition but showed significantly lower SSs in all other SOT conditions (p &lt; 0.05). Autistic children exhibited significantly lower SSs across all SOT conditions (p &lt; 0.05). Age as a covariate was a significant predictor of equilibrium scores (p &lt; 0.05) but not SSs. Sensory organization analysis indicated that autistic children had significantly lower visual and vestibular ratios compared with NT peers (p &lt; 0.05), whereas children with DCD displayed ratios comparable to NT peers. In conclusion, both neurodivergent groups showed reduced anterior-posterior sway maintenance capabilities but differed in the strategies and sensory mechanisms used to maintain posture.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1508790
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1508790
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1123/jmld.2025-0073
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 14
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Neurodevelopmental Disorders
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Human Posture
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Adolescents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Autism Spectrum Disorders
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Developmental Disabilities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychomotor Skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Age Differences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Perceptual Impairments
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Perceptual Motor Coordination
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Movement Assessment Battery for Children
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Shared Challenges and Unique Strategies: A Comparison of Sensory Organization Mechanisms and Strategies for Postural Control in Neurodivergent Children
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Crystal E. Alvarez
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Mary Ocampo-Plazas
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Yungfei Kao
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Mark Ricard
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Priscila Tamplain
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 2325-3193
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 2325-3215
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 14
            – Type: issue
              Value: 1
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Motor Learning and Development
              Type: main
ResultId 1