Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine if children with ASD show distinct profiles early (between 12-17 months of age) and late (between 18-24 months of age) in the 2nd year, compared to children with developmental delay (DD) and typical development (TD). Changes in social attention in all three groups across the 2nd year of life were also examined to better understand developmental patterns of social attention in children with ASD as compared to children with DD and TD.
Methods: Participants were from the longitudinal prospective study of the FIRST WORDS® Project and included 89 children categorized into one of three diagnostic groups; 32 diagnosed with ASD, 25 with DD in which ASD was ruled out, and 32 with TD. Each of the participants received at least two Behavior Samples; one between the ages of 12-17 months and one between 18-24 months. Archived videotaped behavior samples of the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS; Wetherby & Prizant, 2002) were coded using the Observer® Video-Pro software by Noldus Information Technology, allowing for precise measurement of social attention behaviors.
Results: Results indicated that social attention skills differentiated children with ASD from children with TD early and late in the 2nd year. Furthermore, the pattern of social attention seen across the two time points indicated that diagnostic features of social attention were seen early in the 2nd year of life in children with ASD and these deficits increased over the 2nd year of life.
Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that a deficit in social attention is an early symptom of ASD that may be present but more subtle early in the 2nd year of life and become more apparent late in the 2nd year of life. Therefore, it is important that ASD not be ruled out under 18 months of age and children be screened between 18 and 24 months of age as recommended by the AAP (2007).
See more of: Clinical Phenotype
See more of: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Phenotype