Toddlers at Elevated Likelihood for Autism: Exploring Sensory and Language Treatment Predictors.
Alapika Jatkar1, Dunia Garrido2, Shuting Zheng3
1The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Journal of Early Intervention
|March 27, 2023
Summary
Child sensory and language features impact autism treatment outcomes. Higher sensory hyporeactivity and atypical vocalizations in children with elevated likelihood of autism (EL-ASD) were linked to less social communication improvement.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Background:
- Predicting treatment outcomes in children with elevated likelihood of autism (EL-ASD) is crucial for effective intervention.
- Limited research exists on how specific child sensory and language characteristics influence treatment success in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between baseline child sensory and language features and changes in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms.
- To identify potential predictors of treatment response in EL-ASD children.
Main Methods:
- Randomized controlled trial comparing a parent-mediated intervention to a control condition.
- Analysis of baseline child sensory (e.g., hyporeactivity) and language (e.g., atypical vocalizations) characteristics.
- Assessment of changes in ASD symptoms over approximately 9 months.
Main Results:
- Higher baseline sensory hyporeactivity was associated with less improvement in social communication (SC) specifically within the treatment group.
- Increased atypical vocalizations at baseline predicted less SC improvement across both treatment and control groups.
- Sensory reactivity and vocalization patterns emerged as significant factors influencing treatment outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Baseline sensory and language characteristics, particularly sensory hyporeactivity and atypical vocalizations, can inform treatment planning for EL-ASD children.
- Tailoring interventions based on these individual child features may enhance treatment efficacy.
- This study provides a foundation for personalized approaches in early autism intervention.
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