Abstract

Aim

Although atypical sensory motor processing has been investigated in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), whether or not atypical sensory motor processing is related to altered language function in children with ASD remains unclear.

Methods

This study examined the relationship between sensory motor processing and language conceptual inference ability in 3–10‐year‐old children with (n = 61) and without (n = 114) ASD. Language performance was assessed using the language conceptual inference task of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K‐ABC). Sensory processing was assessed using the Caregiver Sensory Profile.

Results

In children with ASD, altered processing of the fine motor/perceptual factor scored by sensory profile was found to be significantly related to language conceptual inference ability in the K‐ABC, representing the integrated abilities of language comprehension and language expression, which reflect language semantic concept formation.

Conclusions

For children with ASD, the results suggest a relationship between difficulties of integrating sensory information perceived from the body adjusting fine movement and deficiencies of language semantic conceptual formation.