Optimizing Social and Communication Outcomes for Toddlers With Autism

The proposed research tests a theoretically and empirically derived treatment approach aimed
at facilitating change in joint attention interactions between caregivers and their toddlers
with autism. Young children with autism show impairments in engaging in joint attention
skills such as pointing and showing. The importance of joint attention is underscored by
data showing that these skills are important to later development of language. Yet these
interaction and skills deficits have rarely been the focus of systematic intervention
efforts, particularly with caregivers. Moreover, current interventions for young children
wiht autism are behavioral in approach, therapist driven, and often exclude the lowest
functioning and developmentally youngest children. Thus, targeting these deficits in
developmentally young children using familiar caregivers may result in better language
outcomes for these children.

The overarching goal of the proposed project is to rigorously test an intervention program
for caregivers and their toddlers with autism that is developmentally informed,
child-centered and focused on joint attention intervention with their toddlers versus
mothers who receive parent education about autism and child development.

The Primary aims of this research are as follows:

- Aim 1: To determine if caregiver mediated intervention on joint engagement is superior
to caregiver education on social communication and language outcomes in children.

- Aim 2: To determine if skill development in the context of caregiver child interaction
transfers to interactions with classroom teachers and peers.

- Aim 3: To examine characteristics of families and children that best predict
social-communication outcome.