Screening for autism spectrum disorders in 12-month-old high-risk siblings by parental report

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Pediatric Medicine
• Genetics

Background:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis often occurs after 12 months.
• High-risk (HR) siblings of children with ASD have an elevated likelihood of developing ASD.
• Early identification of ASD is critical for effective intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if parental reports of behaviors at 12 months can identify ASD in HR-siblings.
• To assess the utility of the First Year Inventory for early ASD screening in HR-siblings.
• To explore early behavioral markers for ASD in infants with a family history of the condition.

Main Methods:

• Parents of HR-siblings and a control group completed the First Year Inventory at 12 months.
• Infants were assessed at 24 or 36 months for developmental outcomes.
• Parental and clinician ratings were used to evaluate social communication and repetitive behaviors.

Main Results:

• HR-siblings later diagnosed with ASD exhibited significant social communication impairments compared to HR-siblings with other outcomes.
• Parental reports of declining play/communication and impaired vocal imitation accurately identified most ASD cases with high specificity.
• The First Year Inventory showed potential for early ASD screening in HR-siblings.

Conclusions:

• Parental behavioral reports at 12 months can aid in identifying infants at risk for ASD.
• Early screening tools utilizing parental input may improve ASD detection in HR-siblings.
• These findings support the development of early screening instruments for ASD in high-risk populations.