A theoretical investigation of the “patterned motor actions” of children with autistic spectrum disorder in dohsa-hou therapy: From the developmental viewpoint of understanding others.

Abstract

In dohsa-hou therapy, some children with autistic spectrum disorder move their body in a stereotyped pattern, so-called “patterned motor action,” as if ignoring the directions of their therapist. In this paper, the mechanism of patterned motor actions is theoretically examined from the developmental viewpoint of the understanding of others. It is postulated that there are two types of patterned motor actions. One is considered to occur when children with autistic spectrum disorder contingently respond to the verbal or/and nonverbal bids of the therapist because they might understand others as animate agents, or they are inclined to respond with consideration of the therapist’s goal, but not their plan because they might understand others as goal-directed agents. The other concerns the possibility that these children focus their attention on their therapist, not their motor action tasks, resulting in passive responses because they might understand others as intentional agents. Therapists must non-intrusively engage with children with ASD according to their developmental level of understanding of others.