Motor learning enables preschoolers and children to acquire fundamental skills that are critical to their development. The current study sought to conduct a bibliometric and visualization analysis to provide a comprehensive overview of motor-learning progress in preschoolers and children over the previous 15 years. The number of studies is constantly growing, with the United States and Australia, as well as other productive institutions and authors, at the leading edge. The dominant disciplines were Neurosciences and Neurology, Psychology, Rehabilitation, and Sport Sciences. The journals Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, Human Movement Science, Physical Therapy, Neuropsychology, Journal of Motor Behavior, and Journal of Experimental Child Psychology have been the most productive and influential in this regard. The most common co-citations for clinical symptoms were for cerebral palsy, developmental coordination disorder, and autism. Research has focused on language impairment (speech disorders, explicit learning, and instructor-control feedback), as well as effective intervention strategies. Advances in brain mechanisms and diagnostic indicators, as well as new intervention and rehabilitation technologies (virtual reality, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and transcranial direct current stimulation), have shifted research frontiers and progress. The cognitive process is critical in intervention, rehabilitation, and new technology implementation and should not be overlooked. Overall, our broad overview identifies three major areas: brain mechanism research, clinical practice (intervention and rehabilitation), and new technology application.

BACKGROUND Approximately 80% of ASD children struggle with age-appropriate motor skills. Numerous studies in this population have examined the effects of motor intervention on social communication and interaction, executive function, and mental health issues. Whereas heterogeneity in publication prevents researchers from revealing the structure and evolution of this topic. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis of current publications in order to identify prevalent trends and topics concerning motor intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder. METHODS Following a systematic search in the Web of Science Core Collection, we used a new research synthesis framework (systematic mapping and bibliometrics) to (1) analyse literature information (productivity and citations) through performance analysis; and (2) perform network analysis of co-cited references and co-occurring keywords to identify research hotspots, frontiers, and emerging trends. RESULTS There were a total of 2,341 scientific publications included. ASD symptoms, intervention strategies, and treatment modalities were recognised as research hotspots. Physical activity, validation, and machine learning were identified as research frontiers. CONCLUSIONS Motor impairments may be considered a core symptom in children with ASD in the future. Serious games and Exergames are low-cost and potentially effective interventions and treatments. Machine learning has recently emerged as a promising technology for earlier identification of ASD children. However, the validity of diagnostic and evaluation tools, as well as the dosage and clinical efficacy of emerging technological interventions (e.g., serious games and Exergame), remain debatable. Furthermore, while the development and application of new technologies will become an important emerging trend, low-risk treatment with behavioural or psychological treatments is the preferred treatment for children with ASD.