Gesture Production in Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2021

Abstract

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) demonstrate delayed and atypical communication development. These deficits constitute a core criterion for the diagnosis of ASD, though information regarding gestural communication in toddlers with ASD remains limited. The present investigation implemented a robust gesture classification system in order to obtain quantitative measures of gesture production in a cohort of toddlers with ASD (n = 40) and controls (n = 40) during 10-min, play-based interactions with caregivers. Children with ASD produced fewer overall gestures and gesture subtypes compared to controls. The ASD group also displayed atypical patterns of gesture production. These findings highlight the need for evidence-based screening, assessment, and intervention protocols pertaining to gestural communication in toddlers with ASD.

Comments

Online ahead of print August 17, 2020.

Victoria Ceballos, Kelsey Himmelwright and Shannon McCabe are students in the graduate program of Speech-Language Pathology at Sacred Heart University,

DOI

10.1007/s10803-020-04647-5

PMID

32808150

Publication

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

Volume

51

Issue

5

Publisher

Springer

Pages

1658-1667

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