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Age of First Words Predicts Cognitive Ability and Adaptive Skills in Children with ASD

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Abstract

Acquiring useful language by age 5 has been identified as a strong predictor of positive outcomes in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This study examined the relationship between age of language acquisition and later functioning in children with ASD (n = 119). First word acquisition at a range of ages was probed for its relationship to cognitive ability and adaptive behaviors at 52 months. Results indicated that although producing first words predicted better outcome at every age examined, producing first words by 24 months was a particularly strong predictor of better outcomes. This finding suggests that the historic criterion for positive prognosis (i.e., “useful language by age 5”) can be updated to a more specific criterion with an earlier developmental time point.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the children and families who participated in our study. We gratefully acknowledge the ongoing participation of pediatricians and staff in their offices, as well as providers in the Connecticut and Massachusetts Birth-to-Three Early Intervention systems. We would like to acknowledge the clinicians, current and former graduate students, and dedicated undergraduate research assistants who were invaluable in conducting all aspects of the screening study. This study was supported by NIH grant R01 HD039961 and Maternal and Child Health Bureau grant R40 MC00270 and prior grants from the National Association for Autism Research, NIMH, and the Department of Education. This work was supported in part by R01- MH076189-01A1to DAF.

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, U-1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA

    Jessica Mayo, Colby Chlebowski, Deborah A. Fein & Inge-Marie Eigsti

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  1. Jessica Mayo
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  2. Colby Chlebowski
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  3. Deborah A. Fein
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  4. Inge-Marie Eigsti
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Correspondence to Jessica Mayo.

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The present study was conducted by Jessica D. Mayo, University of Connecticut; Colby Chlebowski, University of Connecticut; Deborah A. Fein, University of Connecticut, and Inge-Marie Eigsti, University of Connecticut.

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Mayo, J., Chlebowski, C., Fein, D.A. et al. Age of First Words Predicts Cognitive Ability and Adaptive Skills in Children with ASD. J Autism Dev Disord 43, 253–264 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1558-0

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