Early Social Communication Environment and Brain Development in Infants at Risk for Autism
Project Description:
Children with ASD who grow up in rich social communication environments show superior language abilities later in life when compared to children who grow up in less rich social communication environments; however, to date it is unknown if the social communication environment from birth to two years impacts brain development and behavioral outcome in infants at high-familial risk for ASD. Given that the first year of life is a time of great brain plasticity and before the emergence of the diagnostic features of ASD, determining early influential brain mechanisms and intervening during this time could yield ideal outcomes. The goal of the current project is to determine if a rich early social communicative environment supports optimal brain and behavioral development in infants at high-risk for ASD who do and do not go on to develop ASD. Additionally, an independent sample of infants will be studied to determine optimal periods for intervention by searching for time-dependent associations between the social communication environment and brain/behavior development. Specific Aims: 1) To define patterns of association between the early social communication environment with language and brain development in infants at low-risk for ASD.; 2) To determine if the early communication environment is a protective factor for brain development and autism symptoms in infants at high-risk for ASD.; 3) To identify the time window when the association between the social communication environment and infant brain development is the strongest.
Core Function(s):
Performing Research or Evaluation, Demonstration Services
Area of Emphasis
Education & Early Intervention, Health-Related Activities
Target Audience:
Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN, General Public
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Specific Groups
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
National
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
