Exploring Growth in Expressive Communication of Infants and Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Saved in:
| Title: | Exploring Growth in Expressive Communication of Infants and Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Buzhardt, Jay (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Early Intervention. Mar 2022 44(1):3-22. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 20 |
| Publication Date: | 2022 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Institute of Education Sciences (ED) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) (ED/OSERS) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (DHHS/NIH) |
| Contract Number: | R324A120365 H327S140024 R01HD100364 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Toddlers, Expressive Language, Language Skills, Language Impairments, Interpersonal Communication, Communication Skills, Nonverbal Communication, Vocabulary, Speech Communication, Measurement Techniques, Disability Identification, Intervention, Scores, Correlation, Individual Characteristics |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | Aberrant Behavior Checklist, Behavior Assessment System for Children, Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales, Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scales, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule |
| DOI: | 10.1177/1053815121995578 |
| ISSN: | 1053-8151 2154-3992 |
| Abstract: | One of the earliest indicators of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is delay in language and social communication. Despite consensus on the benefits of earlier diagnosis and intervention, our understanding of the language growth of children with ASD during the first years of life remains limited. Therefore, this study compared communication growth patterns of infants and toddlers with ASD to growth benchmarks of a standardized language assessment. We conducted a retrospective analysis of growth on the Early Communication Indicator (ECI) of 23 infants and toddlers who received an ASD diagnosis in the future. At 42 months of age, children with ASD had significantly lower rates of gestures, single words, and multiple words, but significantly higher rates of nonword vocalizations. Children with ASD had significantly slower growth of single and multiple words, but their rate of vocalization growth was significantly greater than benchmark. Although more research is needed with larger samples, because the ECI was designed for practitioners to monitor children's response to intervention over time, these findings show promise for the ECI's use as a progress monitoring measure for young children with ASD. Limitations and the need for future research are discussed. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| IES Funded: | Yes |
| Entry Date: | 2022 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1326723 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | One of the earliest indicators of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is delay in language and social communication. Despite consensus on the benefits of earlier diagnosis and intervention, our understanding of the language growth of children with ASD during the first years of life remains limited. Therefore, this study compared communication growth patterns of infants and toddlers with ASD to growth benchmarks of a standardized language assessment. We conducted a retrospective analysis of growth on the Early Communication Indicator (ECI) of 23 infants and toddlers who received an ASD diagnosis in the future. At 42 months of age, children with ASD had significantly lower rates of gestures, single words, and multiple words, but significantly higher rates of nonword vocalizations. Children with ASD had significantly slower growth of single and multiple words, but their rate of vocalization growth was significantly greater than benchmark. Although more research is needed with larger samples, because the ECI was designed for practitioners to monitor children's response to intervention over time, these findings show promise for the ECI's use as a progress monitoring measure for young children with ASD. Limitations and the need for future research are discussed. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1053-8151 2154-3992 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/1053815121995578 |
