What Are Gross Motor Skills in ABA Therapy?
Gross motor skills are the large-muscle movements that involve the arms, legs, and core—walking, running, jumping, climbing, throwing, catching, balancing. These skills emerge along a typical developmental sequence in early childhood: rolling, sitting, crawling, standing, walking, then more complex coordinated movements like skipping, riding a bike, and playing sports. In Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), gross motor skills are often a goal area, especially for young children whose motor development has not kept pace with peers, and for older learners working on functional movements that affect daily life.
Gross motor skills are distinct from fine motor skills, which involve smaller, more precise movements of the hands and fingers (writing, buttoning, using utensils). Both kinds of motor development matter, and they often progress in parallel—but they involve different muscle groups, different developmental timelines, and different teaching approaches. The behavior analyst typically assesses both when working with young children and prioritizes intervention based on what most affects the learner’s daily functioning.
Motor development is closely connected to broader development in ways that matter for children with autism. According to a 2015 study by Bedford, Pickles, and Lord, published on PubMed Central at the National Institutes of Health, gross motor skills measured at age 2 significantly predicted the subsequent rate of language development in children with autism through age 9. Motor and language skills appear to be linked through shared underlying mechanisms—children who can move through their environment have more opportunities to interact, gesture, and communicate. Targeting gross motor skills isn’t just about movement; it can support development across many other domains.
Research has documented that many children with autism experience some form of motor difficulty, with estimates suggesting as many as three-quarters of children on the spectrum show motor delays of varying severity. These difficulties can include challenges with balance and coordination, atypical gait, difficulty with bilateral coordination (using both sides of the body together), and slower acquisition of motor milestones. ABA programs for young children often include gross motor goals alongside communication and social goals, and the behavior technicians running daily sessions typically build motor practice into play and routines. The behavior analyst may also collaborate with occupational therapists or physical therapists when intervention crosses into specialized expertise.
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Examples of Gross Motor Skills in ABA Therapy
Example 1: Teaching a child to climb playground equipment
A behavior technician is working with a four-year-old client whose family wants him to be able to play on the local playground with his older sister. The behavior analyst designs a teaching program that breaks climbing into a sequence of smaller skills: stepping up onto a low platform, climbing two steps with adult support, climbing three steps independently, and so on. The technician uses naturalistic teaching during playground visits and reinforces successful attempts with brief access to a preferred swing afterward. Over a few weeks, the learner is climbing to the top of the small slide independently. For more on how teaching like this fits into a school-readiness program, see our blog on 6 fall school success tips for kids on the autism spectrum.
Example 2: Building ball-handling for peer play
A behavior analyst designs a program for a six-year-old client who wants to join classmates in recess kickball but has difficulty kicking and catching. The behavior technician runs short, structured practice sessions: rolling the ball toward the learner and reinforcing any contact with the foot, then kicking back; tossing a large ball and reinforcing two-handed catches, gradually moving to smaller balls. The technician and the team’s therapist also work motor practice into ongoing play sessions so the skill builds in naturalistic contexts rather than only during structured drills. After several months, the learner participates in recess kickball with peers.
Example 3: Walking transitions across school settings
A behavior technician is working with a seven-year-old client who has difficulty walking in line during school transitions—he wanders, sits down, or drops to the floor. The behavior analyst targets walking-in-line as both a gross motor and a behavioral skill. The intervention combines reinforcement for staying in line with brief stops at preferred locations (water fountain, classroom window) to build the routine into something rewarding. The behavior technician coaches the school team on implementation across transitions. Within weeks, the learner is moving through transitions with much less support. For more on supporting kids through school transitions, see our blog on 10 tips to transition kids with autism back to in-person school.
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Why Are Gross Motor Skills Important in ABA?
Gross motor skills matter because they’re foundational to so much of daily life. A child who can’t walk independently can’t explore. A child who struggles with coordination can’t play many of the games peers play together. A child who has difficulty with balance avoids the play structures, sports, and movement-based activities that build friendships and physical confidence. When gross motor skills lag, the consequences cascade into social participation, school readiness, and self-esteem. Targeting these skills directly supports the broader life the family wants for their child.
Gross motor goals also intersect with many other ABA priorities. Some activities of daily living depend on gross motor competence—climbing into a car seat, sitting at a table, getting in and out of the bath. Many social and play skills require coordinated movement. Even communication can be supported by motor development, since walking and gestural communication develop together in early childhood. The behavior analyst takes this interconnection into account when prioritizing goals.
Gross motor skills are often best taught in the contexts where they’ll actually be used, rather than in structured drill formats. A learner who needs to climb playground equipment benefits more from teaching at the playground than from teaching in a clinic. For more on the teaching approach that brings instruction into natural contexts, see our glossary entry on natural environment teaching.
Finally, gross motor work in ABA often involves coordination with other specialists. Occupational therapists and physical therapists bring expertise the behavior analyst doesn’t have, particularly for atypical motor patterns, sensory integration concerns, or specific physical conditions. When a learner has significant motor needs that go beyond what an ABA program can address alone, the behavior analyst typically refers the family for evaluation and coordinates with the specialist team to support consistent goals across providers.
FAQs About Gross Motor Skills
What’s the difference between gross motor and fine motor skills?
Gross motor skills involve large muscle groups—the arms, legs, and core—for movements like walking, running, jumping, throwing, and climbing. Fine motor skills involve smaller, more precise movements of the hands and fingers—writing, buttoning, using utensils, manipulating small objects. Both develop in parallel during childhood but along different timelines. A child can be strong in one area and behind in the other, which is why developmental assessments evaluate them separately.
Do all children with autism have gross motor delays?
Not all, but motor difficulties are common. Research suggests that the majority of children on the autism spectrum experience some form of motor difficulty, though severity varies widely. Some children meet motor milestones on a typical timeline; others show subtle differences in coordination or balance; still others have substantial delays. The behavior analyst assesses each learner individually rather than assuming.
Should an ABA program address gross motor skills, or is that a job for OT or PT?
It depends on the goal. ABA can effectively teach many functional gross motor skills—climbing, walking in line, playing catch, riding a tricycle—using the same teaching procedures used for other behavioral targets (task analysis, prompting, reinforcement). For more specialized concerns like atypical gait, severe coordination differences, or sensory-motor integration, occupational therapists and physical therapists bring training that ABA programs don’t typically include. Many learners benefit from coordinated services across disciplines.
How are gross motor skills measured in an ABA program?
Measurement varies based on the specific skill. The behavior technician might count the number of independent steps a learner climbs, the duration the learner can balance on one foot, the number of accurate ball catches in a session, or the percentage of independent task analysis steps completed. Standardized motor assessments like the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development or the Movement Assessment Battery for Children provide normed measures, though these are typically administered by trained specialists rather than the ABA team directly.
Are there activities families can do at home to support gross motor development?
Yes, and most don’t require special equipment. Walking, climbing, jumping, dancing, swimming, riding a tricycle, playing tag, throwing and catching balls of various sizes—all build gross motor skills. The behavior analyst can help families identify which activities best target a learner’s current goals and how to structure them so the learner stays engaged. For learners working on specific skills, the ABA team typically coaches the family on how to incorporate practice into daily routines.
Key Takeaways About Gross Motor Skills
- Gross motor skills involve large muscle groups (arms, legs, core) for movements like walking, running, jumping, climbing, throwing, and catching.
- They develop along a typical sequence in early childhood and are distinct from fine motor skills, which involve precise hand and finger movements.
- Research suggests that the majority of children with autism experience some form of motor difficulty, ranging from subtle coordination differences to substantial delays.
- Early gross motor skills have been shown to predict later language development in children with autism, suggesting motor work can support development across multiple domains.
- ABA can effectively teach functional gross motor skills using task analysis, prompting, and reinforcement, often in the natural contexts where the skill will be used.
- For more specialized motor concerns, behavior analysts often coordinate with occupational therapists or physical therapists who bring complementary expertise.
