Canonical babbling trajectories across the first year of life in autism and typical development
Helen L Long1, Gordon Ramsay2,3, Edina R Bene4
1University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA.
Insights
This study found differences in babbling development in infants with autism. Autistic boys babbled less, while autistic girls babbled more, compared to typically developing infants, aiding early autism identification.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Speech and Language Pathology
Background:
- Early identification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is crucial for timely intervention.
- Babbling with mature syllables, typically emerging around 7 months, is a key developmental milestone preceding first words.
- Previous research on babbling in infants later diagnosed with ASD has yielded inconsistent findings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the production of mature babbling in the first year of life among infants later diagnosed with autism.
- To explore potential sex-based differences in babbling patterns in infants with autism.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study tracking 44 infants diagnosed with autism and 127 typically developing infants.
- All-day audio recordings collected monthly from birth to approximately 13 months of age.
- Analysis of mature babbling frequency within recorded speech segments.
Main Results:
- Infants with autism exhibited a lower rate of mature babbling compared to controls.
- A significant sex difference was observed: autistic boys showed reduced mature babbling, whereas autistic girls demonstrated an increased rate.
- These findings suggest distinct developmental trajectories in babbling for autistic boys and girls.
Conclusions:
- The study provides novel insights into the early vocal development of infants with autism, highlighting sex-specific patterns.
- Understanding these differences can refine early screening tools for autism.
- This research supports the development of targeted communication support strategies for autistic children and their families.
Lay Abstract:
Our study examined how babies develop their ability to talk to help identify early signs of autism. We looked at babies' production of babbling with mature syllables across the first year of life. Babies usually start producing mature babbling at 7 months of age before they say their first words. Some studies have suggested that babies who are later diagnosed with autism produce this kind of babbling less frequently in their first year of life, but other studies have shown complicated outcomes. In this new study, we followed 44 autistic babies and compared them to 127 typically developing babies. We recorded the babies once every month, all day long, from the time that they were born until they were around 13 months old. Then, we studied their mature babbling from segments of these recordings. We found that the rate at which babies used mature babbling was lower in boys with autism, and higher in girls with autism, compared to babies without autism. This research helps us understand how babies with autism learn to talk. It also raises important questions about differences between boys and girls with autism. Our study can help us improve how scientists and clinicians can identify autism earlier, which could lead to better communication supports for autistic children and their families.
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