Dyadic interactions in children exhibiting the broader autism phenotype: Is the broader autism phenotype distinguishable from typical development?

Abstract

In families raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), infant siblings are at elevated risk for ASD and other developmental concerns, including elements of the broader autism phenotype (BAP). Typically, the BAP is indexed using standardized developmental assessments; however, these measures do not capture a number of social difficulties commonly associated with the BAP. The present study aims to expand our developmental understanding of the BAP by comparing children exhibiting the BAP to their typically developing peers on, (a) standardized measures of development, and (b) social behaviors exhibited during dyadic play interactions. As part of a prospective study, dyads were recruited from families with at least one older child with ASD (high‐risk, n = 36), and families with no history of ASD (low‐risk, n = 38). During laboratory visits at 12, 15, 18, and 24 months of age, infants completed a series of standardized assessments and a mother–child play interaction. Dyadic play interactions were micro‐analytically coded for gaze, positive affect, and vocalizations to create theory‐driven composites to index dyadic synchrony and responsiveness. Videos were also coded with an existing rating scheme for joint engagement and child responsiveness. Multilevel models revealed significant group differences on select constructs within the first 2 years. Language and cognitive differences emerged by 24 months of age, whereas dyadic differences were evident as early as 15 months. Recognizing the increasing demand for elevated‐risk interventions, these findings highlight several social constructs through which interventions may identify risk and promote optimal development. Autism Res 2019, 12: 469–481 © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Lay Summary In families raising children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), younger siblings are at an increased risk for social and developmental difficulties that characterize a “broader autism phenotype.” The present study explored the emergence of social, language, and cognitive differences in the first 2 years of life. Social differences were evident as early as 15 months of age for several play‐based measures, and language and cognitive differences emerged by 24 months of age. For infant siblings of children with ASD, some of the earliest behavioral marks for subclinical features of ASD are evident within the first 2 years of life.

Dyadic Synchrony and Responsiveness in the First Year: Associations with Autism Risk

“…Other studies have also noted fewer/lower prosocial behavior in children classified as non-TD (sometimes referred to, or further classified as exhibiting the broader autism phenotype; BAP). Examples include lower frequencies of information seeking during a social task [Cornew, Dobkins, Akshoomoff, McCleery, & Carver, 2012], less infant responsiveness during play [Kellerman et al, 2019], and descriptive reports of fewer joint attention bids [Sullivan et al, 2007].…”

“…For example, Gangi et al [2018] reported infants who developed ASD engaged in less gaze to face behaviors during play at 12 months of age. Similarly, Kellerman et al [2019] documented subclinical dyadic features of ASD evident during play by 15 months of age (i.e., lower infant and maternal responsiveness; lower joint engagement). However, several studies have demonstrated that parents of children with ASD are comparable interactive partners, when compared to parents of children with typical development and those with other developmental concerns [Kasari, Sigman, Mundy, & Yirmiya, 1988; Schwichtenberg et al, 2019; Siller & Sigman, 2002].…”

“…When examining dyadic constructs across outcome classifications, the most consistent or robust group differences are evident by 12–15 months [Gangi et al, 2018; Hutman et al, 2012; Kellerman et al, 2019; Ozonoff et al, 2010; Wan et al, 2013]. For example, Gangi et al [2018] reported infants who developed ASD engaged in less gaze to face behaviors during play at 12 months of age.…”

“…For mothers, they often include vocalizations and gesture use [Jakubowski & Iverson, 2018; Talbott et al, 2016; Talbott, Nelson, & Tager‐Flusberg, 2015]. Recently, dyadic synchrony [Steiner, Gengoux, Smith, & Chawarska, 2018], responsiveness [Harker, Ibañez, Nguyen, Messinger, & Stone, 2016; Leezenbaum, Campbell, Butler, & Iverson, 2014; Schwichtenberg, Kellerman, Young, Miller, & Ozonoff, 2019], and indices of social engagement [Campbell, Leezenbaum, Mahoney, Day, & Schmidt, 2016; Harker et al, 2016; Kellerman, Schwichtenberg, Tonnsen, Posada, & Lane, 2019] have also been indexed. These diverse indices of prosocial behaviors make direct comparisons across studies difficult but general patterns of prosocial trajectories have emerged (described below), demonstrating distinct differences by familial ASD risk and outcome classifications within the first 2 years.…”

Canonical babbling during vocal turn taking and independent vocal play

“…Diagnosis is common nowadays by 18-24 months of age Submitted for review: Oct. 9, 2020 (Zwaigenbaum et al, 2015). Symptoms in early infancy include reduced or absent dyadic interaction, social responsiveness, and joint attention (Kellerman et al, 2019;Mundy, 2017;Ozonoff et al, 2010), and there is some evidence suggesting prelinguistic vocal developmental anomalies (e.g., Sheinkopf et al (2012)). Two studies previously analyzed canonical babbling ratios (CBRs) in infants with ASD.…”