Language delay aggregates in toddler siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder

Marrus, Natasha; Hall, Lacey; Paterson, Sarah; Elison, Jed T.; Wolff, Jason J.; Swanson, Meghan R.; Parish‐Morris, Julia; Eggebrecht, Adam T.; Pruett, John R.; Hazlett, Heather C.; Zwaigenbaum, Lonnie; Dager, Stephen R.; Estes, Annette; Schultz, Robert T.; Botteron, Kelly N.; Piven, Joseph; Constantino, John N.

doi:10.1186/s11689-018-9247-8

Cited by 51 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 115 publications

(112 reference statements)

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“…A goal in improving the functional outcomes of children with autism is to identify those at greatest risk as early in life as possible, often before the behavioral repertoire of the infant is sufficiently mature to reveal consistent signs of the disorder. Infant siblings of children with ASD have an increased incidence of ASD diagnosis, currently estimated to be as high as 1 in 5 [Ozonoff et al, ], and are also at increased risk for language delay [Marrus et al, ]. Earlier identification of potential language delay in toddlers at risk for ASD would allow for earlier intervention and possibly improve outcomes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reduced frontal gamma power at 24 months is associated with better expressive language in toddlers at risk for autism

et al. 2019

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Frontal gamma power has been associated with early language development in typically developing toddlers, and gamma band abnormalities have been observed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as high-risk infant siblings (those having an older sibling with ASD), as early as 6 months of age. The current study investigated differences in baseline frontal gamma power and its association with language development in toddlers at high versus low familial risk for autism. Electroencephalography recordings as well as cognitive and behavioral assessments were acquired at 24 months as part of prospective, longitudinal study of infant siblings of children with and without autism. Diagnosis of autism was determined at 24-36 months, and data were analyzed across three outcome groups-low-risk without ASD (n = 43), high-risk without ASD (n = 42), and high-risk with ASD (n = 16). High-risk toddlers without ASD had reduced baseline frontal gamma power (30-50 Hz) compared to low-risk toddlers. Among high-risk toddlers increased frontal gamma was only marginally associated with ASD diagnosis (P = 0.06), but significantly associated with reduced expressive language ability (P = 0.007). No association between gamma power and language was present in the low-risk group. These findings suggest that differences in gamma oscillations in high-risk toddlers may represent compensatory mechanisms associated with improved developmental outcomes.Lay Summary: This study looked at differences in neural activity in the gamma range and its association with language in toddlers with and without increased risk for ASD. At 2 years of age, gamma power was lower in high-risk toddlers without ASD compared to a low-risk comparison group. Among high-risk toddlers both with and without later ASD, reduced gamma power was also associated with better language outcomes, suggesting that gamma power may be a marker of language development in high-risk children.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reduced frontal gamma power at 24 months is associated with better expressive language in toddlers at risk for autism

et al. 2019

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“…Proband-sibling associations were further investigated among domains of language development, a reported endophenotype of ASD [37]. Expressive and receptive languages were significantly correlated among sibling pairs, driven by pairs concordant for ASD ( Table 3, Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative trait variation in ASD probands and toddler sibling outcomes at 24 months

Girault

Swanson

Meera

et al. 2020

J Neurodevelop Disord

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Background: Younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at increased likelihood of receiving an ASD diagnosis and exhibiting other developmental concerns. It is unknown how quantitative variation in ASD traits and broader developmental domains in older siblings with ASD (probands) may inform outcomes in their younger siblings. Methods: Participants included 385 pairs of toddler siblings and probands from the Infant Brain Imaging Study. ASD probands (mean age 5.5 years, range 1.7 to 15.5 years) were phenotyped using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (VABS-II). Siblings were assessed using the ADI-R, VABS-II, Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL), and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and received a clinical best estimate diagnosis at 24 months using DSM-IV-TR criteria (n = 89 concordant for ASD; n = 296 discordant). We addressed two aims: (1) to determine whether proband characteristics are predictive of recurrence in siblings and (2) to assess associations between proband traits and sibling dimensional outcomes at 24 months. Results: Regarding recurrence risk, proband SCQ scores were found to significantly predict sibling 24-month diagnostic outcome (OR for a 1-point increase in SCQ = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.01, 1.12). Regarding quantitative trait associations, we found no significant correlations in ASD traits among proband-sibling pairs. However, quantitative variation in proband adaptive behavior, communication, and expressive and receptive language was significantly associated with sibling outcomes in the same domains; proband scores explained 9-18% of the variation in cognition and behavior in siblings with ASD. Receptive language was particularly strongly associated in concordant pairs (ICC = 0.50, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Proband ASD symptomology, indexed by the SCQ, is a predictor of familial ASD recurrence risk. While quantitative variation in social communication and restricted and repetitive behavior were not associated among sibling pairs, standardized ratings of proband language and communication explained significant variation in the same domains in the sibling at 24 months, especially among toddlers with an ASD diagnosis. These data suggest that proband characteristics can alert clinicians to areas of developmental concern for young children with familial risk for ASD.

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“…, Marrus et al . ). Nevertheless, we did not only expect to find a high variability in language development in HR‐sibs with ASD, but also in HR‐sibs with BAP.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…With regard to demographic characteristics, gender and educational level of the mother will be taken into account (Marrus et al . , Rescorla , Tager‐Flusberg , Weismer and Kover ). In addition, non‐verbal abilities and ASD features (social–communicative difficulties and repetitive and restricted behaviours) were included as characteristics of the child's development (Marrus et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, non‐verbal abilities and ASD features (social–communicative difficulties and repetitive and restricted behaviours) were included as characteristics of the child's development (Marrus et al . , Tager‐Flusberg , Weismer and Kover ). The educational level of the mother has not been consistently predictive of language growth in preschool children with ASD (Anderson et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Language growth in very young siblings at risk for autism spectrum disorder

Bruyneel

Demurie

Warreyn

et al. 2019

Intl J Lang & Comm Disor

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Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show substantial variability in their language development. Language problems are highly prevalent in these children. In addition, the quality of early language abilities contributes to the overall development of these children and is highly predictive of their adult outcome. Yet, little is known about language development in children at risk of ASD during the first years of life. Aims: To compare early receptive language (RL) and expressive language (EL) development in children at risk of ASD and determine predictors of language development. Methods & Procedures: Developmental trajectories of RL and EL were investigated from 10 to 36 months of age in younger siblings of typically developing children (LR-sibs, N = 30) and in younger siblings of children with ASD (HR-sibs, N = 31) using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning. Furthermore, both child and demographic characteristics were examined as possible predictors of language development. Outcomes & Results: Both groups showed similar growth curves for RL and EL and the majority of the children showed average (within ±1.5 SD of the mean) or above-average language abilities. Nevertheless, the mean growth of EL was lower and the variation in growth of both RL and EL was higher in HR-sibs than in LR-sibs. Furthermore, early child characteristics were predictive of language development in both groups. Yet, some child characteristics seemed to be of more importance in HR-sibs than in LR-sibs. Consequently, lower non-verbal abilities at 10 months in both groups and a higher degree of ASD characteristics at 14 months in HR-sibs may be indicative of difficulties in language development. Conclusions & Implications: HR-sibs show more variation in their language development than LR-sibs during the first 3 years of life. The majority of HR-sibs, however, did not present with below-average language abilities. Yet, early characteristics of ASD may be a red flag for difficulties in the language development of HR-sibs. What this paper addsWhat is already known on the subject Language ability is an important element for the quality of life of individuals with ASD. Different studies indicate that younger siblings of children with ASD might also encounter considerable variability and possible problems in their language development, as is often the case in children with ASD. Yet, knowledge on early language development of these younger siblings during the first 3 years of life and on what factors may influence this development remains rather limited. What this paper adds to existing knowledgeThe results confirm that HR-sibs, like children with ASD, show more variation in their language development than LR-sibs. This indicates that it will be harder to predict the developmental trajectory of language in HR-sibs as progress does not seem to be uniform in these children. In addition, HR-sibs also show slower development of expressive language. Although the majority of the children show average or above-average language development...

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Language delay aggregates in toddler siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder

Cited by 51 publications

References 115 publications

Reduced frontal gamma power at 24 months is associated with better expressive language in toddlers at risk for autism

Reduced frontal gamma power at 24 months is associated with better expressive language in toddlers at risk for autism

Quantitative trait variation in ASD probands and toddler sibling outcomes at 24 months

Language growth in very young siblings at risk for autism spectrum disorder

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