Differences in Object Sharing and Locomotor Skills Between Infants At Risk for Autism and Typically Developing Infants in the First 15 Months of Life

Background:  

Older infants engage in triadic joint attention episodes to share their object play with caregivers (Bakeman & Adamson, 1984). During object sharing episodes infants move in different ways to express their intent to share by turning heads to look at caregivers, pointing to or showing objects, reaching out to or vocalizing to caregivers, or a combination of these behaviors. These socially-oriented actions are encompassed by the term, “initiation of joint attention” and lay a foundation for future social, communication, and cognitive development. Recent evidence suggests that advancements in locomotor skills could facilitate a child’s object sharing or joint attention bids (Karasik et al., 2011). Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs).show impairments in both initiating and responding to joint attention bids by the second year of life. However, early socially-oriented motor behaviors may also be reduced in young infants at risk for ASDs (i.e.; infant siblings of children with ASDs or AU sibs).

Objectives:  

In the present study, we will compare object sharing behaviors between AU sibs and typically developing (TD) infants. In addition, we will assess the influence caregiver interactions on the object sharing skills of both groups of infants.

Methods:  

12 AU sibs and 12 TD infants were observed during an object sharing task at 9, 12, and 15 months with developmental follow-up and autism screening at 18 and 24 months. During each visit we collected video data for 14 minutes wherein infants were seated near multiple small toys. In the spontaneous condition (7 minutes), the caregivers were asked to be quiet and wait for the child to initiate a social interaction. In this condition, the caregiver did not ask the child for toys. In the social condition (7 minutes), the caregiver initiated a clean-up activity wherein she showed the bag and said, “Let’s put the toys away”. She would point to each object and ask for the toy. Dependent variables included rates of object sharing bids including looks, reaches, and/or vocalizations as well as stationary or moving bids. In addition, we grouped infants by locomotor status (novice or experienced crawlers or walkers).

Results:  

Based on our preliminary data, rates of object sharing bids in the social context were greater than the spontaneous context and may interact with a child’s motor skill level for both groups. Specifically, children with advanced locomotor skills will show greater rates and variety of object sharing behaviors. AU sibs with poor social outcomes had lower rates of object sharing bids, specifically in the spontaneous condition, as compared to infants without poor social outcomes.

Conclusions:  

Our results suggest that socially-oriented motor behaviors such as object sharing may provide an early marker for future risk of ASDs within the first year of life. Moreover, early fine motor and gross motor delays may contribute to the social, nonverbal communication delays found in infants at risk for ASDs. Therefore, it would be important to diagnose and treat these early delays in infants at high-risk for ASDs such as infant siblings of children with ASDs.