Developing Biomarkers of Language Impairment In Nonverbal Children with Autism: An MEG Investigation

Language impairment is a defining feature of autism however its neural bases remain largely undiscovered. We present findings from an ongoing series of studies to develop brain-based predictors (biomarkers) of language function in minimally-verbal school-aged children with autism. We use MEG and a passive listening paradigm to assess cortical function in typically developing children and children with autism so that we may determine between-group differences that correspond to neural mechanisms and not to task-related attentional processes, compensatory strategies, or coping skills. We adopt a case-study approach so that we may assess cortical language processes and their correspondence to language outcome on a child-by-child basis. A key aim is to go beyond group-wise differences to determine which brain measures are predictive of language outcome as measured by standardized assessments. Our overarching goal is to develop biomarkers that are predictive of language outcome in school-aged children in order to provide methods for earlier detection in younger children so that treatment and interventions may be begun as early in life as possible.