Moerman Floor, Van de Vyver Hanna, Warreyn Petra, Erdogan Maide, Noens Ilse, Sivaraman Maithri, Vlaeminck Fieke, Wallaert Steven, Roeyers Herbert
Research in Developmental Diversity Lab (RIDDL) UGent, Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium.
J Autism Dev Disord. 2024 Dec 18. doi: 10.1007/s10803-024-06685-9.
This longitudinal study investigated the predictive value of initial level and growth rate of joint attention and play from 10 to 24 months for language abilities of 24-month-old toddlers at elevated likelihood (EL) for autism. (Semi-)structured assessments were used to measure all variables at different timepoints prospectively in younger siblings of children with autism (siblings, n = 48) and children born before 30 gestational weeks (preterms, n = 49). A positive association was found between initial level of play at 10 months and expressive language at 24 months in siblings, but not in preterms. We did not find an association between initial level of play and receptive language. Growth rate of play and initial level and growth rate of joint attention were not related to language abilities in siblings and preterms. Our results indicate that play and expressive language are interrelated, and early play behaviour may contribute to later language. As this association was absent in preterms, they may follow qualitatively different developmental processes. Moreover, future research including different EL-groups is needed to clarify these differential associations. In contrast to previous studies, no association between early joint attention and later language was found. These inconsistent findings warrant further exploration and highlight the importance of exploring alternative aspects of early development, for instance non-social factors, to expand our understanding of language acquisition.
这项纵向研究调查了10至24个月大时联合注意和玩耍的初始水平及增长率对患自闭症可能性较高（EL）的24个月大幼儿语言能力的预测价值。采用（半）结构化评估前瞻性地在不同时间点测量自闭症儿童的弟弟妹妹（n = 48）和孕30周前出生的儿童（早产儿，n = 49）的所有变量。在弟弟妹妹中，发现10个月时玩耍的初始水平与24个月时的表达性语言之间存在正相关，但在早产儿中未发现这种相关性。我们未发现玩耍的初始水平与接受性语言之间存在关联。玩耍的增长率以及联合注意的初始水平和增长率与弟弟妹妹及早产儿的语言能力无关。我们的结果表明，玩耍与表达性语言相互关联，早期玩耍行为可能有助于后期语言发展。由于这种关联在早产儿中不存在，他们可能遵循质的不同的发育过程。此外，需要包括不同EL组的未来研究来阐明这些差异关联。与先前的研究不同，未发现早期联合注意与后期语言之间存在关联。这些不一致的发现值得进一步探索，并突出了探索早期发展的其他方面（例如非社会因素）以扩展我们对语言习得理解的重要性。
