Movement and the Developing Brain, 0 to 6

You have been told, by a therapist, a book or an Instagram post, that movement is "neurological medicine" for your child. Part of that is true and part of it is marketing. This page separates the two, using only what our research compendium could verify, and ends with what to actually do on a Tuesday.

What the evidence supports

Motor differences are common in autism and matter. A meta-analysis of 51 studies found large motor coordination differences across autistic groups, across ages and across many kinds of movement. The authors called motor coordination a cardinal feature of autism. ¹ This analysis reports motor differences, not the percentage of autistic children with motor difficulties.

Physical activity changes the brain in general. A well-known review in Nature Reviews Neuroscience summarises how aerobic exercise affects brain function at molecular, cellular and behavioural levels, including growth factors such as BDNF that support learning. ² This is general research on brains, not a study of autistic or ADHD preschoolers; it tells us the mechanism is plausible, not that a specific program works.

We have not verified the papers needed to summarize how exercise changes attention, working memory or self-control in children with ADHD. We therefore make no claim about those outcomes here.

Green movement adds something. A small but often-cited experiment found that children with ADHD aged 7 to 12 concentrated better after a 20-minute walk in a park than after the same walk on city streets, with effects the authors compared to a dose of stimulant medication. ³ Seventeen children, one session each; a good signal, not a large trial. See nature, water and calm outings.

Children differ in which movements they enjoy and tolerate. Ask an occupational therapist about your child's needs rather than assuming that pushing, jumping, swinging or spinning will calm them. The compendium is honest about this, and so are we: try it, keep what works for your child.

What is overstated

Our editorial rule is to avoid claims that movement replaces medication, changes the course of autism, or has a precise benefit that we cannot trace to a study. Choose activities around your child's comfort and discuss treatment decisions with their clinician.

Movement that fits your family

Moving together can be a way to spend time together. Choose an activity you both enjoy; we are not claiming that shared movement has been shown to regulate two nervous systems.

You might offer a walk, familiar playground activity or dance, and notice whether your child enjoys it. Adapt or stop an activity that causes discomfort. These are editorial suggestions, not prescriptions for heavy work, deep pressure or vestibular input.

One option is a short planned activity, some free play, and time to wind down. This is not a tested recipe or a substitute for an individualized plan.

Sleep is part of the movement story

Movement and sleep pull on each other. A 2025 review of exercise and sleep in ADHD found that children and families report better sleep after regular exercise, but wearable-measured sleep length did not change significantly. ⁴

A separate study found more movement during sleep among autistic children with co-occurring ADHD. It does not establish that vigorous daytime activity improves their sleep. ⁵

When to ask for advice

If you are concerned about movement, describe specific examples to your child’s clinician or an occupational therapist. For children under 7, ask your CLSC about Agir tôt. ⁶ See who does what.

This week

Sources

1. Motor coordination in autism spectrum disorders: a synthesis and meta-analysis (2010) ↩1
2. Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition (2008) ↩1
3. Children with attention deficits concentrate better after walk in the park (2009) ↩1
4. Effectiveness of exercise on sleep quality in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2025) ↩1
5. Sleep problems and circadian rhythm functioning in autistic children, autism with co-occurring ADHD, and typically developing children (2024) ↩1
6. The Agir tôt program: early screening to better address children's needs (2026) ↩1