Beery VMI Scores of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Undergoing Occupational Therapy

Abstract

Visual motor integration (VMI) is the ability to control hand movements through vision. Children with autism are at risk for VMI deficits although this correlation is well described in previous research not much else is known about the relationship between autism and VMI. This study investigated the potential predictors of VMI performance in children with autism. The impact of occupational therapy attendance, age, gender, and pre-Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of VMI scores on post-Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of VMI scores were analyzed. Secondary data from 104 subjects were analyzed using multiple linear regression. It was concluded that the pre-Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of VMI score was the greatest predictor of the post-Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of VMI score. Age and gender were not predictive. Occupational therapy attendance was not a significant predictor; however, there was a significant difference between pre and post-assessment scores. The findings of this study illustrate that children with autism who have VMI deficits can benefit from rehabilitation services, that all ages and both genders can expect similar positive outcomes, and that these positive changes were not limited by attendance. Professionals can utilize the predictive model to formulate realistic goals based on current VMI performance for both rehabilitative and school settings.