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Brief Report: Ages of Language Milestones as Predictors of Developmental Trajectories in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

Recognizing early risk markers in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is critical for timely diagnosis and intervention. The purpose of this study was to extend previous findings regarding language milestones to a longitudinal design, in which ages of expressive language milestones (i.e., first words, first phrases) could serve as predictors of developmental trajectories in a heterogeneous sample of young children with ASD (N = 98; age at first assessment: M = 32 months, SD = 5). Age of first words predicted trajectories of expressive language and adaptive skills; number of words predicted each outcome examined. Because these aspects of early language show promise as potential indicators of later functional outcomes, future research on developmental processes as they relate to individual differences will be particularly informative.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by NIH Grants R01 DC007223, T32 DC005359, and P30HD03352. Preliminary results were presented at the 2014 International Meeting for Autism Research in Atlanta, GA. We offer our sincere thanks to all of the families who participated in this research. We would also like to thank Dr. Daniel Bolt for his statistical consultation.

Author Contributions

STK developed the research questions and analysis plan, oversaw data entry, performed the statistical analysis, interpreted the findings, and drafted the manuscript. SRE contributed to focusing the rationale, helped with interpretation of the findings, and provided edits to the manuscript. SEW oversaw this research, wrote the grant application that funded this research, and provided feedback on the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, 1417 N.E. 42nd St., Seattle, WA, 98105, USA

    Sara T. Kover

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Sarah R. Edmunds

  3. Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA

    Susan Ellis Weismer

  4. Waisman Center, Madison, WI, USA

    Susan Ellis Weismer

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  1. Sara T. Kover
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  2. Sarah R. Edmunds
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Correspondence to Sara T. Kover.

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Kover, S.T., Edmunds, S.R. & Ellis Weismer, S. Brief Report: Ages of Language Milestones as Predictors of Developmental Trajectories in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 46, 2501–2507 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2756-y

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