Early motor and communicative development in infants with an older sibling with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Purpose: A recent approach to identifying early markers development. In addition, variation in infant motor and of risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been to communicative development appears to have cascading study infants who have an older sibling with ASD. These effects on development, both on the emergence of behavior infants are at heightened risk (HR) for ASD and for other in other domains and on the broader learning environment. developmental difficulties, and even those who do not receive Conclusions: Advances in communicative and language an eventual ASD diagnosis manifest a high degree of variability development are supported by advances in motor skill. in trajectories of development. The primary goal of this When these advances are slowed and/or when new skills review is to summarize findings from research on early are not consolidated and remain challenging for the infant, motor and communicative development in these HR infants. the enhanced potential for exploration afforded by new Method: This review focuses on 2 lines of inquiry. The first abilities and the concomitant increase in opportunities assesses whether delays and atypicalities in early motor for learning are reduced. Improving our understanding of abilities and in the development of early communication communicative delays of the sort observed in ASD and provide an index of eventual ASD diagnosis. The second developing effective intervention methods requires going asks whether such delays also influence infants’ interactions beyond the individual to consider the constant, complex with objects and people in ways that exert far-reaching, interplay between developing communicators and their cascading effects on development. environments. Results: HR infants who do and who do not receive a Presentation Video: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha. diagnosis of ASD vary widely in motor and communicative 7299308