Modeling longitudinal change in the language abilities of children with autism: parent behaviors and child characteristics as predictors of change
Abstract
The objective of the current study was to evaluate the patterns of longitudinal change in the language abilities of 28 children with autism during early and middle childhood. Results from fitting a series of multilevel models showed that children's rate of language growth was independently predicted by (a) children's responsiveness to others' bids for joint attention and (b) parents' responsiveness to their children's attention and activity during play. Both predictive relations could not be explained by initial variation in global developmental characteristics, such as IQ, mental age, or language abilities. These findings support a social?pragmatic view on language acquisition, which emphasizes the collaborative process through which children and their parents negotiate shared meaning.
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The intervention significantly alters parent-child dyadic social communication, and these changes are associated with subsequent positive child outcomes in longitudinal studies.
“The intervention does however significantly alter parent-child dyadic social communication in ways that are associated with subsequent positive child outcomes in longitudinal studies of autism,29,30 and are likely to be also positive for parents themselves.”
From Parent-mediated communication-focused treatment in children with autism (PACT): a randomised controlled trial (2010) · cites this paper as [30]
Parental synchrony and child initiations are associated with positive benefits for later social and communication functioning in independent prospective studies.
“These represent the targeted proximal outcomes of the parent-training approach, and their presence has been associated with positive benefits for later social and communication functioning in independent prospective studies in children with autism.29,30”
From Parent-mediated communication-focused treatment in children with autism (PACT): a randomised controlled trial (2010) · cites this paper as [30]
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“Focus Playtime Intervention (FPI) Siller and Sigman [154,155] published studies that showed that parents’ responsible behavior during their play with their children with ASD in the early years predicts later language development.”
Background
- Authors
- Siller, M., & Sigman, M.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- ORCID
- Siller, Michael
- Venue
- Developmental Psychology
- Published
- 2008
- Volume
- 44
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1691-1704
- ISSN
- 0012-1649 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-0599
- OpenAlex
- W2131842709
- Cited by
- 404
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 40 · 2018: 33 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 28 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 29 · 2012: 20
- FWCI
- 25.77
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Developmental Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD35470, HD055784)
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH068172)
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (M.I.N.D.)
- Autism Speaks Early Intervention and Treatment
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder, language development, longitudinal change, joint attention, parental responsiveness, early childhood, middle childhood, parent-child interaction, language acquisition
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Attention, Autistic Disorder, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Language Development Disorders, Language Tests, Language Therapy, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Maternal Behavior, Models, Psychological, Mother-Child Relations, Prognosis, Social Adjustment, Parenting
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