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Predicting Intentional Communication in Preverbal Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders volume 47, pages 1581–1594 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Intentional communication has previously been identified as a value-added predictor of expressive language in preverbal preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder. In the present study, we sought to identify value-added predictors of intentional communication. Of five theoretically-motivated putative predictors of intentional communication measured early in the study (at study entry and 4 months after), three had significant zero-order correlations with later intentional communication (12 months after study entry) and were thus added to a linear model that predicted later intentional communication scores controlling for initial intentional communication scores at study entry. After controlling for initial intentional communication, early motor imitation was the only predictor that accounted for a significant amount of variance in children’s later intentional communication.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by National Institute for Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD R01DC006893) and supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institute, the National Institutes of Health (U54HD083211), and the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (P30HD03110). The project was additionally supported by CTSA award No. KL2TR000446 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences or the National Institutes of Health. We are very grateful to our wonderful staff (Nicole Thompson, Paula McIntyre, Ariel Schwartz, Tricia Paulley, Kristen Fite, Maura Tourian, Ann Firestine, Lucy Stefani, Olivia Fairchild, Amanda Haskins, Danielle Kopkin, Kathleen Berry, Elizabeth Stringer Keefe, Rebecca Louick, Caitlin Malloy, Chelsey Carroll, and Jessica Barnes) and to the families who trust us with their precious children.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Special Education, University of Texas at Austin, 1912 Speedway, STOP D5300, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

    Micheal Sandbank

  2. Hearing and Speech Sciences Department, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

    Tiffany Woynaroski & Bahar Keçeli Kaysili

  3. Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Linda R. Watson

  4. Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Elizabeth Gardner

  5. Special Education Department, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Paul Yoder

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  1. Micheal Sandbank
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Correspondence to Micheal Sandbank.

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Micheal Sandbank declares that she has no conflict of interest. Tiffany Woynaroski declares that she has no conflict of interest. Linda R. Watson declares that she has no conflict of interest. Elizabeth Gardner declares that she has no conflict of interest. Bahar Keceli Kaysili declares that she has no conflict of interest. Paul Yoder declares that he has no conflict of interest.

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Sandbank, M., Woynaroski, T., Watson, L.R. et al. Predicting Intentional Communication in Preverbal Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 47, 1581–1594 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3052-1

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Keywords

  • Autism spectrum disorder
  • Intentional communication
  • Motor imitation
  • Predictors
  • Longitudinal