Assessment of postural control with deprivation of visual system and somatosensorial perturbation in child with autism: case report

Mental maturity is a state of preparation for physical, mental and social aspects of life.1 Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have low mental maturity and deficits with regards to social interactions, language,1 motor skills and postural control.2 Postural control is achieved by the integration of three systems: visual, vestibular and somatosensorial.3 Postural perturbation increases the risk of falls and can exert a negative impact on the development of communication skills and social interactions.4 Children with autism are more susceptible due to deficits related to visual and somatosensorial feedback.5 Do deprivation of the visual system and somatosensorial perturbation alter postural control variables in a child with autism compared to a child with neurotypical development? This case report involved two male children aged seven years and four months – one with a diagnosis of ASD (22 kg, 132 cm) and another with neurotypical development (26.4 kg, 129 cm). The psychological evaluation (general reasoning capacity) was performed using the Columbia Mental Maturity Scale (CMMS-3). The motor assessment was performed using the SMART-D 140® system (BTS Engineering), which has two force plates (Kistler Platform, model 9286BA). Postural control was investigated under the following conditions: eyes open, eyes closed, without a mat and with a 5-cm foam rubber mat. Table 1 lists the results of the CMMS-3 and force plate variables. The child with ASD had average reasoning capacity. Both children exhibited oscillations in postural control, but the child with autism had poorer results in the occurrence of visual deprivation and somatosensorial perturbation. Table 1- Results of Columbia Mental Maturity Scale-3 and force plate variablesDownload : Download high-res image (94KB)Download : Download full-size image This study investigated whether mental maturity exerts an influence on postural control in a child with autism and whether the deprivation of the visual system and sensorial perturbation alter postural control variables. The results suggest that mental maturity (general reasoning capacity) exerts an influence on postural control, the understanding of the positioning on the force plate and the cognitive information process of maintaining a static position, especially with sensorial input caused by the foam rubber mat. Deprivation of the visual system and somatosensorial perturbation exert an influence on postural control in children with ASD,6,7 generating an increase in body sway and the area of displacement of the centre of plantar pressure.