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Response to Joint Attention in Toddlers at Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Prospective Study

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Abstract

Response to joint attention (RJA) is impaired in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is pivotal to social and communication development. Response to joint attention was examined at 14 and 24 months in 51 children at high risk for autism (siblings of children with autism). Outcome groups at age 3 years included ASD (n = 16), broader autism phenotype (n = 8), and non-broader autism phenotype (n = 27). The ASD group made minimal improvement in RJA between 14 and 24 months, but stability of RJA across tasks increased for all three groups. Significantly, lower RJA was observed for the ASD group at 24 months. Response to joint attention performance at 14 months predicted ASD outcome. Response to joint attention is an important screening and early intervention target.

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Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude for the funding provided by grants MH59630 and 154MH066417 (Studies to Advance Autism Research and Treatment) from the National Institute of Mental Health, funding from NIMH 5T32MH20033-07 (postdoctoral fellowship for Michelle Sullivan), and funding from Pathfinders for Autism, National Alliance for Autism Research, Cure Autism Now, and Coalition for Autism, awarded to Rebecca Landa (PI). We thank the families for their generous participation in and commitment to this research. Sincere appreciation is also expressed to staff, without whose efforts this research could not be executed: Sarah Beal, Cornelia Taylor, Jim Mancini, Allison Nelson, Amy Knecht, Julie Rusyniak, Seton Lindsay, Dana Christina, Laura Becker, Julie Cleary, Katherine Holman, Katie Owens, Amy Reese, Allison O’Neill, Amy Falk, Audrey Thurm, Melissa Martin, Kelley Shaw, Sharon Loza, Lesley Strunge, Kathryn Gleeson, Andrea Schanbacher, Andrea Golloher, Kirsten Basore, Kate Brooks, Monae Johnson, Sue Miller, Erica Gee, Juhi Pandey, and Rachel Weiman.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute on Disability/UCED, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA

    Michelle Sullivan

  2. Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Julianna Finelli & Alison Marvin

  3. Department of Oncology and Biostatistics, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer

  4. Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Margaret Bauman

  5. Department of Psychiatry, Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21211, USA

    Rebecca Landa

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  1. Michelle Sullivan
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  2. Julianna Finelli
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  3. Alison Marvin
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  4. Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer
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  5. Margaret Bauman
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  6. Rebecca Landa
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Correspondence to Rebecca Landa.

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Sullivan, M., Finelli, J., Marvin, A. et al. Response to Joint Attention in Toddlers at Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Prospective Study. J Autism Dev Disord 37, 37–48 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0335-3

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