Koegel Lynn, Singh Anji, Koegel Robert, Hollingsworth Jessica, Bradshaw Jessica
University of California, Santa Barbara.
J Posit Behav Interv. 2014 Apr;16(2):69-80. doi: 10.1177/1098300713482977.
Empirical studies have documented a variety of social abnormalities in infancy that indicate risk for later social and behavioral difficulties. There is very little research illustrating the presence of such behavioral vulnerabilities with frequent repeated measures, and the feasibility of designing interventions for improving social engagement in infants under one year of age. In the context of a multiple baseline research design, three young infants, ages 4, 7, and 9 months referred for concerns about social engagement were assessed for affect, social interest, eye contact avoidance, and response to name. Additionally, the feasibility of implementing an intervention to target social behaviors was examined. Results demonstrated that: (1) consistently low or erratic levels of social behavior were evident throughout the baseline assessment period; (2) these patterns could be improved with a brief intervention (a modified Pivotal Response Treatment) showing an immediate increase and stability of social engagement; and (3) social engagement remained at a stable and high level at follow-up. The results are discussed in terms of implications of early assessment and intervention for clinical populations, including infants with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
实证研究记录了婴儿期的各种社会异常情况，这些情况表明日后出现社会和行为问题的风险。很少有研究通过频繁的重复测量来说明此类行为脆弱性的存在，以及为改善一岁以下婴儿的社会参与度而设计干预措施的可行性。在多重基线研究设计的背景下，对三名因社会参与问题被转介的4个月、7个月和9个月大的幼儿进行了情感、社会兴趣、避免眼神接触和对名字反应的评估。此外，还考察了实施针对社会行为的干预措施的可行性。结果表明：（1）在整个基线评估期内，社会行为水平持续较低或不稳定；（2）通过简短干预（改良的关键反应治疗）可以改善这些模式，社会参与度立即提高并保持稳定；（3）随访时社会参与度保持在稳定的高水平。本文将根据早期评估和干预对临床人群（包括自闭症谱系障碍婴儿）的影响来讨论这些结果。
