- Daisha Cummins conducts research on motor planning in the Sensory Motor Behavior Lab at Utah State University.
- Motor planning involves the brain’s ability to plan and execute intentional motor actions.
- Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may have difficulty changing their motor plans, leading to repetitive behaviors.
- Cummins’ research found that children with ASD were less likely to switch their thumb grasp during a simple motor task compared to typically developing children.
- Understanding motor skills could potentially provide a new tool for diagnosing ASD and help individuals with the disorder.