Thursday, May 20, 2010
Franklin Hall B Level 4 (Philadelphia Marriott Downtown)
9:00 AM
Background: 12-month-olds subsequently diagnosed with autism pay less attention and demonstrate less affective response to another person’s distress relative to typically developing infants and the infant siblings of children with autism who do not meet criteria for autism at 36 months (Barnwell et al., 2009). Infants’ distress responses have been related to the development of empathic concern (Zahn-Waxler, Radke-Yarrow, Wagner, & Chapman, 1992). Thus, they are theoretically linked with early social cognition (Rochat & Striano, 1999) and, thereby, with language development (Woodward, 2001).
Objectives: This study sought to identify links between empathic response at 12 months and language skills at 36 months in children whose language skills are in the normal range. The study also sought to determine whether the relationship between empathic response and language development differed between groups of infants at high- and low-risk of developing autism.
Methods: Participants were 53 high-risk siblings of children with autism and 38 low-risk infants with no family history of autism. None of these children met criteria for ASD at 36 months, as determined by the ADOS and clinicians’ judgment. Twelve-month-olds’ reactions to an examiner’s display of distress were coded for attention and affective response, using four-point Likert scales. Median splits were used to form high/low attention and affective-response groups. Mean differences were evaluated for expressive and receptive language scores (Mullen Scales of Early Learning, 1995) at 36 months.
Results: High- and low-risk groups’ language scores did not differ at 12 or 36 months. Infants who paid more attention to distress at 12 months had higher expressive and receptive language scores at 36 months relative to the low-attention group. Infants who demonstrated any affective response to distress had higher receptive language scores at 36 months than children who did not respond affectively (all p values < 0.05). These results held when we controlled for 12-month verbal and non-verbal mental age and for household income. Effect sizes were modest (η2 range 0.06 to 0.09). Group membership (high-risk vs. low-risk) did not moderate the relationship between empathic response and language scores at 36 months.
Conclusions: Twelve-month-olds who pay more attention and demonstrate any affective response to another person’s distress have better language skills at 36 months than those who are less responsive to other people’s distress. These findings suggest that the ability to detect and interpret changes in affective expression contributes to infants’ developing understanding of others’ internal states and intentions and, thereby, to language acquisition. Empathic responsiveness should be studied experimentally for impact on language skills and should be targeted in early intervention programs designed to improve language outcomes.
Objectives: This study sought to identify links between empathic response at 12 months and language skills at 36 months in children whose language skills are in the normal range. The study also sought to determine whether the relationship between empathic response and language development differed between groups of infants at high- and low-risk of developing autism.
Methods: Participants were 53 high-risk siblings of children with autism and 38 low-risk infants with no family history of autism. None of these children met criteria for ASD at 36 months, as determined by the ADOS and clinicians’ judgment. Twelve-month-olds’ reactions to an examiner’s display of distress were coded for attention and affective response, using four-point Likert scales. Median splits were used to form high/low attention and affective-response groups. Mean differences were evaluated for expressive and receptive language scores (Mullen Scales of Early Learning, 1995) at 36 months.
Results: High- and low-risk groups’ language scores did not differ at 12 or 36 months. Infants who paid more attention to distress at 12 months had higher expressive and receptive language scores at 36 months relative to the low-attention group. Infants who demonstrated any affective response to distress had higher receptive language scores at 36 months than children who did not respond affectively (all p values < 0.05). These results held when we controlled for 12-month verbal and non-verbal mental age and for household income. Effect sizes were modest (η2 range 0.06 to 0.09). Group membership (high-risk vs. low-risk) did not moderate the relationship between empathic response and language scores at 36 months.
Conclusions: Twelve-month-olds who pay more attention and demonstrate any affective response to another person’s distress have better language skills at 36 months than those who are less responsive to other people’s distress. These findings suggest that the ability to detect and interpret changes in affective expression contributes to infants’ developing understanding of others’ internal states and intentions and, thereby, to language acquisition. Empathic responsiveness should be studied experimentally for impact on language skills and should be targeted in early intervention programs designed to improve language outcomes.