Influence of Early Social-Communication Behaviors on Maladaptive Behaviors in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Intellectual Disability

Abstract

We investigated the relationships between early social-communication behaviors and maladaptive behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Fi y-three children with both intellectual disabilities and developmental disorders including ASD participated in the current study. e results of a stepwise multiple regression showed that frequency of initiating joint attention and rate of positive a ect expression were independent negative predictors of internalizing problems; severity of ASD symptom and frequency of requests were positive predictors, and rate of positive a ect expression was a negative predictor, of v-scale score for externalizing problems. ese results demonstrated that di erent types of early social-communication behaviors in uence di erent kinds of maladaptive behaviors in children with ASD. In particular, positive a ect expression with communication was a negative predictor of both internalizing and externalizing problems. It is critical that we explore how maladaptive behaviors develop in children with ASD, with a particular focus on the development of early socialcommunication.

Effects of the Picture Exchange Communication System on Early Social-Communication Behaviors in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…Charlop-Christy, Carpenter, LeBlanc, and Kellet (2002) reported that PECS training can improve maladaptive behaviors in children with ASD. Considering that positive a ect expression combined with communication behaviors is a negative predictor of maladaptive behaviors in children with ASD (Nagai et al, 2017a), our results suggest that the PECS may provide the additional bene t of increased positive a ect expression, such as reducing maladaptive behaviors.…”

“…Behavioral observation measures in free-play situations. In both the pre-and post-phases, we conducted behavioral observations during free-play situations in a playroom at the child developmental support center, similar to those performed in the research by Nagai, Hinobayashi, and Kanazawa (2017a). e free-play situations occurred for approximately 90 minutes per day.…”

“…We coded the occurrences of early socialcommunication behaviors in the video recordings according to their operational de nitions (Table 3). Each category was based on the study by Nagai et al (2017a). We also calculated the frequency of requests and IJA in 20-minute segments as well as the ratio of eye-contact and positive a ect expression.…”