TY - JOUR
T1 - Parent-reported patterns of loss and gain in communication in 1- to 2-year-old children are not unique to autism spectrum disorder
AU - Brignell, Amanda
AU - Williams, Katrina
AU - Prior, Margot
AU - Donath, Susan
AU - Reilly, Sheena
AU - Bavin, Edith L.
AU - Eadie, Patricia
AU - Morgan, Angela T.
PY - 2017/4/1
Y1 - 2017/4/1
N2 - We compared loss and gain in communication from 1 to 2 years in children later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (n = 41), language impairment (n = 110) and in children with typical language development at 7 years (n = 831). Participants were selected from a prospective population cohort study of child language (the Early Language in Victoria Study). Parent-completed communication tools were used. As a group, children with autism spectrum disorder demonstrated slower median skill gain, with an increasing gap between trajectories compared to children with typical development and language impairment. A proportion from all groups lost skills in at least one domain (autism spectrum disorder (41%), language impairment (30%), typical development (26%)), with more children with autism spectrum disorder losing skills in more than one domain (autism spectrum disorder (47%), language impairment (15%, p = 0.0003), typical development (16%, p < 0.001)). Loss was most common for all groups in the domain of 'emotion and eye gaze' but with a higher proportion for children with autism spectrum disorder (27%; language impairment (12%, p = 0.03), typical development (14%, p = 0.03)). A higher proportion of children with autism spectrum disorder also lost skills in gesture (p = 0.01), sounds (p = 0.009) and understanding (p = 0.004) compared to children with typical development but not with language impairment. These findings add to our understanding of early communication development and highlight that loss is not unique to autism spectrum disorder.
AB - We compared loss and gain in communication from 1 to 2 years in children later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (n = 41), language impairment (n = 110) and in children with typical language development at 7 years (n = 831). Participants were selected from a prospective population cohort study of child language (the Early Language in Victoria Study). Parent-completed communication tools were used. As a group, children with autism spectrum disorder demonstrated slower median skill gain, with an increasing gap between trajectories compared to children with typical development and language impairment. A proportion from all groups lost skills in at least one domain (autism spectrum disorder (41%), language impairment (30%), typical development (26%)), with more children with autism spectrum disorder losing skills in more than one domain (autism spectrum disorder (47%), language impairment (15%, p = 0.0003), typical development (16%, p < 0.001)). Loss was most common for all groups in the domain of 'emotion and eye gaze' but with a higher proportion for children with autism spectrum disorder (27%; language impairment (12%, p = 0.03), typical development (14%, p = 0.03)). A higher proportion of children with autism spectrum disorder also lost skills in gesture (p = 0.01), sounds (p = 0.009) and understanding (p = 0.004) compared to children with typical development but not with language impairment. These findings add to our understanding of early communication development and highlight that loss is not unique to autism spectrum disorder.
KW - autism spectrum disorder
KW - communication
KW - language
KW - regression
KW - skill loss
KW - trajectory
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85014833953&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1362361316644729
DO - 10.1177/1362361316644729
M3 - Article
C2 - 27178996
AN - SCOPUS:85014833953
VL - 21
SP - 344
EP - 356
JO - Autism
JF - Autism
SN - 1362-3613
IS - 3
ER -