Rhianna Benson
A clinical psychologist believes there's a way of diagnosing autism by looking at the way a person walks.
The 'odd gait' was recently added to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders' list of the supporting diagnostic features of autism.
This work - published by the American Psychiatric Association - is the standard reference that medical experts currently use to issue diagnoses of this intricate neurological condition.
Autism the term commonly used to describe individuals who see the world somewhat differently to others, with the most common indicators affecting speech and language, as well as cognitive function and interpersonal skills.
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The condition has also been known to inflict overstimulation, spark avoidant/repetitive behaviour, and can trigger anxiety.
That being said, however, the condition is notoriously difficult to diagnose, however, being that 'traits' of autism can vary greatly from person to person. On top of this, research into the disorder is still ongoing, having been infamously understudied in the years prior.
Speaking to The Mail this week, Professor Nicole Rinehart said that, due to the disorder's association with brain development - in the basal ganglia and cerebellum specifically - we might be able to determine possible autism based on the way someone walks.
This is because the basal ganglia controls mobility, and is therefore responsible for helping a person perform smooth and coordinated movements.
The cerebellum, meanwhile, receives info from the inner ear and controls balance.
According to Rinehart, being that these areas are believed to be affected by autism, someone with the condition might have a slightly unconventional walk.
Her research reportedly suggests that most obvious gait difference is that autistic people tend to either toe-walk (on the balls of their), in-toe (walk with their feet turned slightly inwards), or out-toe (walk with one or both feet pointed inwards).
"Research has also identified more subtle differences," the professor continued, however.
"A study summarizing 30 years of research among autistic people reports that gait is characterized by walking more slowly, taking wider steps, spending longer in the 'stance' phase, when the foot leaves the ground [and] taking more time to complete each step."
Rinehart believes this autistic gate is something that 'persists across the lifespan' and can even become more apparent later in life.
This observation has reportedly been described by experts as a 'game changer', specifically with regards to diagnosing autistic children earlier in their lives, as walking can be studied at a young age.
The professor adds, however, that just because this gait might be used to diagnose autism doesn't mean that individuals who walk in such a way need treatment for it, unless it interferes in the daily life.
Bringing the discussion back to children, she added, however, that sport and dance have both proven beneficial in seeing autistic children working on their mobility.
"Given children spend a large portion of their time at school, programs that integrate opportunities for movement throughout the school day allow autistic children to develop motor skills outside of the clinic and alongside peers," Rinehart explains.
"Our community-based intervention studies show autistic children's movement abilities can improve after engaging in community-based interventions, such as sports or dance.
"Community-based support models empower autistic children to have agency in how they move, rather than seeing different ways of moving as a problem to be fixed."