Parents' Use of Internal State Language with Toddlers at High and Low Genetic Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Child Psychiatry

Background:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition impacting social communication.
• Early identification and intervention are crucial for improving outcomes in children with ASD.
• Children with an older sibling diagnosed with ASD (high-risk) have a significantly higher likelihood of developing ASD themselves.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in the use and elicitation of internal state language (ISL) between high-risk (HR) and low-risk (LR) toddlers.
• To examine the relationship between parental ISL, toddler ISL, and later ASD diagnosis.
• To understand developmental trajectories of ISL in toddlers who do and do not develop ASD.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study involving parents and toddlers at 22 and 28 months.
• Parents read wordless picture books to toddlers; parent and toddler internal state language (ISL) was coded.
• Diagnostic assessments at 36 months categorized toddlers into ASD, HR-noASD, and LR groups.

Main Results:

• Parents of toddlers who later received an ASD diagnosis elicited ISL less frequently compared to parents of typically developing toddlers.
• Toddlers demonstrated an increase in ISL use between 22 and 28 months.
• Toddlers diagnosed with ASD exhibited lower ISL scores and less age-related improvement compared to their peers.

Conclusions:

• Parental strategies for eliciting ISL may differ based on ASD risk.
• Toddlers who develop ASD show distinct patterns in ISL development, characterized by lower usage and slower improvement.
• ISL may serve as a potential early indicator for ASD risk and development.