Atypical Response to Caregiver Touch in Infants at High Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Girija Kadlaskar, Amanda Seidl, Helen Tager-Flusberg and 2 others
PMID 31016672WHAT IT FOUND
Infants later diagnosed with autism were less likely to look at the source of a caregiver's touch and more likely to look away.
This lack of attention at 12 months predicted higher autism symptom severity at follow-up.
Key findings
01Infants later diagnosed with autism (HRA+) had a significantly greater percentage of No-Shift responses to caregiver touches in the Non-Lead-In category (41%) compared to low-risk controls (24%) and high-risk infants without an autism diagnosis (30%).
02When infants later diagnosed with autism did shift attention after being touched while already engaged with an object (Lead-In), they were significantly more likely to shift attention away from the touch (60%) compared to low-risk controls (28%).
03For infants at high risk for autism, the percentage of No-Shift responses at 12 months predicted autism severity scores at outcome, but did not predict language scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample size was small (39 infants), and the results are considered preliminary. The high-risk group without an autism diagnosis had higher developmental scores at baseline than the other groups, which could have influenced their touch responses. The study only included mother-infant dyads, so findings may not apply to interactions with fathers or other caregivers. Touch responsivity did not predict language outcomes, limiting the direct link to communication development in this specific analysis.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use this study to conclude that touch interventions will improve language or reduce autism symptoms. The study is observational and only identifies a correlation between early attention patterns and later diagnosis; it does not test any treatment.