Following the child's lead: mothers' interactions with children with autism

This study examined the extent to which mothers of preschool children with autism use language that is related to the child's focus of attention. Fourteen mother-child dyads involving preschool children with autism participated in this study, along with 14 matched dyads involving typically developing preschool children. Both groups were observed during 15 minutes of free play. Results revealed that the mothers of children with autism directed verbalizations to something within the child's focus of attention as frequently as the mothers of typically developing children. Thus, children with autism had as many opportunities to benefit from verbal input related to their focus of attention as did typically developing children. However, mothers of children with autism directed verbalizations to something not within the child's focus of attention more frequently than mothers of typically developing children. This nonrelated input may have reflected the mothers' attempts to adapt to their children's difficulties in attention and interaction.