Next Generation Siblings – Infant Study
Project Description:
With emerging evidence of the efficacy of interventions under age 2 (Brian et al., 2022; Crank et al., 2021) and opportunities to improve families' experiences within the care system (Corcoran, Berry, & Hill, 2015), there are many potential benefits of early identification of autism. Generating knowledge about the earliest signs of autism to inform the clinical community and shorten the stressful 'diagnostic odyssey' that many families experience and ensure that parents are empowered to access needed supports and services for their children (Lappé et al, 2018). Considerable progress has been made in delineating the earliest clinical features of autism with the adoption of prospective research designs, focused on infants at increased likelihood of autism by virtue of having an older autistic sibling (Szatmari et al., 2016; Zwaigenbaum & Penner, 2018). Findings from these studies emphasize that early features can be related to DSM-5-TR (APA, 2022) domains (i.e., reduced social communication and narrow interests/ repetitive behavior), other developmental domains including language, cognitive and motor skills as well as regulatory functions including emotional reactivity, feeding and sleep (reviewed in Dawson et al., 2023).
Keyword(s):
Mental/Behavioral Health – Autism, siblings, next generation, high risk
Core Function(s):
Performing Direct and/or Demonstration Services, Performing Research or Evaluation, Developing & Disseminating Information
Area of Emphasis
Education & Early Intervention, Health-Related Activities
Target Audience:
Family Members/Caregivers, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Specific Groups
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Another State, Single-County, Mulit-County, State, Regional, National, International
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
