The effects of COVID-19 containment measures on the emotional and behavioral development of preschoolers are not clear. We investigated them within an ongoing longitudinal project including typically developing children (TD) and children at high familial risk for neurodevelopmental disorders (HR-NDD) who were potentially more vulnerable. The study included ninety children aged 2–6 years (TD = 48; HR-NDD = 42). Before the emergency phase (T0), all children received a clinical assessment, including the parent questionnaire Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1.5–5 (CBCL 1.5–5). The same questionnaire was filled out again during the emergency (T1), together with an ad-hoc questionnaire investigating environmental factors characterizing the specific period. Changes in the CBCL profiles between T0 and T1 were evaluated. Overall, irrespective of familial risk, the average T-scores on specific CBCL scales at T1 were higher than at T0. Associations emerged between delta scores reflecting worsening scores on specific CBCL scales and clinical and environmental factors. Our results confirmed the negative impact of the lockdown on preschool children’s emotional/behavioral profiles, and highlight the need for strategic approaches in the age range of 2–6 years, especially for more susceptible children owing to environmental factors and pre-existing emotional problems.

Previous research found that the parental autism phenotype is associated with child autism spectrum disorder (ASD), even if the pathway between autistic traits in parents and child ASD is still largely unknown. Several studies investigated frontal asymmetry in alpha oscillation (FAA) as an early marker for ASD. However, no study has examined the mediational effect of FAA between parental autistic traits and child ASD symptoms in the general population. We carried out a prospective study of 103 typically developing infants and measured FAA as a mediator between both maternal and paternal autistic traits and child ASD traits. We recorded infant baseline electroencephalogram (EEG) at 6 months of age. Child ASD symptoms were measured at age 24 months by the Child Behavior Checklist 1½–5 Pervasive Developmental Problems Scale, and parental autistic traits were scored by the Autism spectrum Quotient questionnaire. The mediation model showed that paternal vs. maternal autistic traits are associated with greater left FAA which, in turn, is associated with more child ASD traits with a significant indirect effect only in female infants vs. male infants. Our findings show a potential cascade of effects whereby paternal autistic traits drive EEG markers contributing to ASD risk.

Atypical sensory responses are included in the diagnostic criteria of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autistic individuals perform poorly during conditions that require integration across multiple sensory modalities such as audiovisual (AV) integration. Previous research investigated neural processing of AV integration in infancy. Yet, this has never been studied in infants at higher likelihood of later ASD (HR) using neurophysiological (EEG/ERP) techniques. In this study, we investigated whether ERP measures of AV integration differentiate HR infants from low‐risk (LR) infants and whether early AV integration abilities are associated with clinical measures of sensory responsiveness. At age 12 months, AV integration in HR (n = 21) and LR infants (n = 19) was characterized in a novel ERP paradigm measuring the McGurk effect, and clinical measures of sensory responsiveness were evaluated. Different brain responses over the left temporal area emerge between HR and LR infants, specifically when AV stimuli cannot be integrated into a fusible percept. Furthermore, ERP responses related to integration of AV incongruent stimuli were found to be associated with sensory responsiveness, with reduced effects of AV incongruency being associated with reduced sensory reactivity. These data suggest that early identification of AV deficits may pave the way to innovative therapeutic strategies for the autistic symptomatology. Further replications in independent cohorts are needed for generalizability of findings.

Statistical learning refers to the ability to extract the statistical relations embedded in a sequence, and it plays a crucial role in the development of communicative and social skills that are impacted in the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Here, we investigated the relationship between infants’ SL ability and autistic traits in their parents. Using a visual habituation task, we tested infant offspring of adults (non-diagnosed) who show high (HAT infants) versus low (LAT infants) autistic traits. Results demonstrated that LAT infants learned the statistical structure embedded in a visual sequence, while HAT infants failed. Moreover, infants’ SL ability was related to autistic traits in their parents, further suggesting that early dysfunctions in SL might contribute to variabilities in ASD symptoms.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a high-cost/high-burden problem. Early intervention may prevent development of the disorder, improving child outcomes and reducing long-term consequences. However, few studies have investigated the role of early intervention in children younger than two years. This study aims to examine the effect of early intervention in 18-month-old high-risk siblings of children with ASD (HR-ASD) with clinical signs of autism. The intervention is based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis and focuses on the development of early precursors to social and communicative competence (joint attention and imitation behaviors). After controlling for baseline differences, two comparison HR-ASD groups were included: 15 HR-ASD toddlers receiving behavioral intervention for 3 h per week for 5 months (INT+) and 15 HR-ASD toddlers who were only clinically monitored from age 18 months (INT−). Changes in social communication, restricted/repetitive behaviors, and language were assessed using standardized measures at pre- (T0) and post-intervention (T1). From T0 to T1, the INT+ group showed significant improvements in communication, social interaction, and language compared to INT− group. There was no effect on restricted/repetitive behaviors. Our findings highlighted the importance of early detection/intervention in autism and supported a positive impact of targeted interventions to improve outcomes in at-risk children.