Brief Report: Ages of Language Milestones as Predictors of Developmental Trajectories in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Recognizing early risk markers in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is critical for timely diagnosis and intervention. The purpose of this study was to extend previous findings regarding language milestones to a longitudinal design, in which ages of expressive language milestones (i.e., first words, first phrases) could serve as predictors of developmental trajectories in a heterogeneous sample of young children with ASD (N=98; age at first assessment: M=32 months, SD=5). Age of first words predicted trajectories of expressive language and adaptive skills; number of words predicted each outcome examined. Because these aspects of early language show promise as potential indicators of later functional outcomes, future research on developmental processes as they relate to individual differences will be particularly informative.

The role of caregiver speech in supporting language development in infants and toddlers with autism spectrum disorder

“…Further, early language skills in children with autism represent a reliable predictor of later skills. A younger age of first word acquisition is significantly associated with better cognitive and adaptive skills (Kover, Edmunds, & Ellis Weismer, 2016; Mayo et al, 2013).…”

Bayonet-shaped language development in autism with regression: a retrospective study

“…Such a language development pathway and outcome question the interpretation of early language measurements in ELR children as permanent impairment [ 10 ]. As suggested previously [ 37 ], the slope of language development may be more informative on the language outcome than the level of language observed during the second year of life.…”

“…However, children with ELR generally utter their first words within normal age limits, which is generally not the case for autistic children without ELR [ 16 , 22 , 23 , 33 , 36 ], and similarly for their first phrase, if ELR occurs after the production of the first phrase [ 23 ]. Such early milestones are associated with higher IQ [ 7 ] and language level [ 37 – 39 ] in the general autistic population.…”

Language Acquisition in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…As linguistic milestones (e.g. age of first words and phrases) strongly predict developmental trajectories for speech and adaptive skills (Howlin, Goode, Hutton, & Rutter, 2004;Kover et al, 2016), investigating the nature and causes of severe language deficits in ASD is of clear intellectual and practical importance.…”