Objective To explore the postural control of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) under different sensory information inputs. Methods A total of 15 ASD children aged 4-12 years who visited the National Autism Center of China Rehabilitation Research Center between November 2022 and December 2024 were randomly selected, and 15 typically developmental (TD) children matched in age and gender were recruited from the children of staff at the China Rehabilitation Research Center. Postural control tests during static standing and walking were conducted respectively. The postural control and walking abilities under different conditions were compared between the two groups of children, and the standing and walking abilities across these conditions within each group were compared to analyze the effects of the conditions on standing and walking. Results There were statistically significant differences between the two groups of children in the center of pressure (COP) 95% confidence ellipse area (P<0.001) and COP path length (P<0.001) during static standing. There was a statistically significant difference in the gait line length difference between the two groups of children when walking at a speed of 1.0 km/h (P<0.001), but no statistically significant difference when walking at a speed of 2.0 km/h (P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the anterior-posterior position between the two groups of children (P>0.05). For ASD children, there were statistically significant differences in the COP 95% confidence ellipse area and COP path length when standing with eyes open and closed (P<0.05), while for TD children, there was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). When walking at different speeds, there were statistically significant differences in the gait line length difference and the anterior-posterior position among ASD children (P<0.05), while there was no statistically significant difference among TD children (P>0.05). Conclusions Compared with TD children, ASD children have postural control disorders, and poor walking stability and coordination ability. Under different sensory input conditions, the postural control ability of ASD children varies greatly. Sensory-motor intervention should be carried out for ASD children to improve their postural control ability, walking stability and coordination ability.
