Cataloguing and characterizing interests in typically developing toddlers and toddlers who develop ASD.
Catherine A Burrows, James W Bodfish, Jason J Wolff and 11 others
PMID 34021722WHAT IT FOUND
For toddlers at high risk for autism, the unusualness of their interests, not just their intensity, better distinguished those who developed ASD from those who did not.
High-risk siblings showed more intense interests than low-risk peers, regardless of diagnosis.
Key findings
01Peculiarity of interests at 24 months differentiated toddlers who developed ASD from high-risk siblings who did not, whereas intensity did not distinguish these two groups.
02Intensity of interests at 24 months was higher in both high-risk groups (those with and without ASD) compared to low-risk toddlers, suggesting intense interests may relate to familial risk.
03In the high-risk group that did not develop ASD, having intense or peculiar interests was associated with lower adaptive and developmental functioning scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used a new measure (I-3) that has not yet established full psychometric profiles, such as test-retest reliability. Intensity was defined by behavioral distress when redirected, which may not capture the internal experience of interest. There was limited statistical power to detect sex differences within the small HR-ASD group. Data on age of onset was retrospective and relies on parent recall.
Declared interests
The study was supported by the N.I.H. and non-U.S. government research funds. No specific conflicts of interest regarding the measure or commercial entities are detailed in the provided text beyond funding sources.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that intense interests alone indicate ASD. In this study, intensity was elevated in all high-risk siblings, including those who did not develop ASD. It was the peculiarity of the interests that specifically distinguished those who developed ASD.