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A Pilot Study of Maternal Sensitivity in the Context of Emergent Autism

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Abstract

Unstructured mother–toddler interactions were examined in 18-month-old high- and low-risk children subsequently diagnosed (n = 12) or not diagnosed (n = 21) with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) at 36 months. Differences in maternal sensitivity were not found as a function of emergent ASD status. A differential-susceptibility moderation model of child risk guided investigations linking maternal sensitivity to child behavior and language growth. Group status moderated the relation between sensitivity and concurrent child behavior problems, with a positive association present for children with emergent ASD. Maternal sensitivity at 18 months predicted expressive language growth from age 2 to 3 years among children with emergent ASD only. Findings underscore the importance of understanding parent–child interaction during this key period in the development of autism symptomatology.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by NIH grants R01HD047417, T32 HD007473 (University of Miami), and T32 HD07489 (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Autism Speaks, and the Marino Autism Research Institute. We wish to thank the students and staff of the UM Sib Study for their efforts with data collection and management and Whitney Gealy, Silviana Guerra, Maria Kimijima, and Katelyn Vertucci for their superb rating of maternal sensitivity. We thank Rachel Fenning, Naomi Ekas, and Lisa Ibanez for their input on drafts of the manuscript and we are especially grateful to the families for their participation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rm 533, Madison, WI, USA

    Jason K. Baker

  2. University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA

    Jason K. Baker, Daniel S. Messinger, Kara K. Lyons & Caroline J. Grantz

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  1. Jason K. Baker
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Correspondence to Jason K. Baker.

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Baker, J.K., Messinger, D.S., Lyons, K.K. et al. A Pilot Study of Maternal Sensitivity in the Context of Emergent Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 40, 988–999 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-010-0948-4

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