Brief Report: Non-right-Handedness Within the Autism Spectrum Disorder

J Autism Dev Disord. 2016 Mar;46(3):1110-7. doi: 10.1007/s10803-015-2631-2.

Abstract

A larger distribution of left-handedness in the population of Autism Spectrum Disorder has been repeatedly reported. Despite of this, the sample sizes in the individual study's are too small for any generalization to be made. Using both description-based and citation-based searches, the present review combines the individual results in order to examine whether non-right-handedness is a general trait of the autism spectrum disorder. With a relatively large combined sample size (N = 497), it can be concluded that the distribution of non-right-handedness is significantly greater within the autism spectrum disorder population, compared with the population in general.

Keywords: Autism; Autism spectrum disorder; Handedness; Lateralization; Left-handedness; Non-right-handedness.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / physiopathology
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / psychology*
  • Functional Laterality* / physiology
  • Humans
  • Phenotype
  • Sample Size