Early communication development and intervention for children with autism.
1Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. landa@kennedykrieger.org
Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews
|February 28, 2007
Summary
Early intervention is crucial for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to address communication impairments. This paper reviews early communication development, diagnostic characteristics, and effective intervention strategies for ASD.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Communication Sciences
Background:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication deficits and restricted, repetitive behaviors.
- Communication impairments are a core feature of ASD, significantly impacting social interaction and development.
- Early identification and intervention are critical for improving outcomes in young children with ASD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of communication components relevant to autism.
- To summarize diagnostic communication characteristics in autism, especially in prelinguistic children.
- To examine early communication development, predictors, and effective early intervention strategies for autism.
Main Methods:
- Review of prospective and retrospective studies on early communication development and predictors in autism.
- Analysis of diagnostic communication characteristics and their overlap with social impairments.
- Examination of intervention implications related to motor, imitation, and play deficits.
Main Results:
- Communication impairments in autism are multifaceted, with significant overlap between social and communication deficits, particularly at the prelinguistic stage.
- Early communication development is influenced by various predictors, highlighting the need for timely assessment.
- Motor, imitation, and play deficits have direct implications for designing effective communication-based interventions.
Conclusions:
- Early intervention is strongly recommended for children with autism to address communication impairments.
- Intervention design and delivery for young children with autism should consider individual deficits and developmental levels.
- A review of major early intervention approaches provides guidance for clinicians and researchers.
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