Introduction: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by key features such as lack of connection with the external world, motor and cognitive difficulties. Individuals with autism process familiar and unfamiliar faces differently due to inherent disruptions in the neural network. Our hypothesis is that this differential processing affects postural control, subsequently influencing the balance and execution of motor skills in these individuals. Therefore, the main goal of this research was to determine the impact of viewing familiar and unfamiliar images on postural control in children with autism.
Methodology: This study was semi-experimental and involved 10 voluntary male children aged 7 to 11 years with level 2 autism, selected from Babolsar city. Posture fluctuations of participants were measured using a force plate in three stages: during the observation of familiar images, unfamiliar images, and without images.
Results: The one-way analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated significant effects of viewing unfamiliar images on the displacement of the center of pressure (p=0.02), overall oscillation (p=0.028), and anterior-posterior axis (p=0.012). However, there was no significant difference between viewing familiar images and the no-image condition (p≥0.05).
Conclusion: The results demonstrated that observing unfamiliar images leads to a decrease in postural stability and an increase in posture oscillations, likely due to different neural processing, increased allocation of attentional resources, heightened arousal, and disruptions in sensory integration, such as vestibular and somatosensory inputs. It is recommended that in initial sessions, motor interventions should be delayed to allow the child to adapt to the environment and instructor, preventing heightened arousal and diminished motor performance. Familiar faces can be used as a low-cost, simple, and implementable exercise method to reduce arousal in stressful situations and improve posture control and balance in these children