Scaffolded reaching experiences encourage grasping activity in infants at high risk for autism

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Pediatric Motor Development

Background:

• Infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit delayed motor skill development.
• The efficacy of early motor-focused interventions for infants at high familial risk of ASD is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if early motor interventions, specifically targeting reaching skills, benefit infants at high risk for ASD.
• To determine if "sticky mittens" training enhances grasping activity and face preference in high-risk infants.

Main Methods:

• A group of 17 high-risk (HR) infants received 2 weeks of scaffolded reaching training using "sticky mittens."
• A comparison group of 72 low-risk (LR) infants underwent similar or alternative training protocols.
• Grasping activity and face preference were assessed post-intervention.

Main Results:

• High-risk infants demonstrated increased grasping activity after "sticky mittens" training, comparable to low-risk infants.
• The training did not conclusively encourage a preference for faces in high-risk infants, unlike in low-risk infants.

Conclusions:

• Early motor interventions using "sticky mittens" can enhance reaching skills in infants at high risk for ASD.
• Further research is needed to explore the impact of motor interventions on social-cognitive development in high-risk populations.