Predicting Intentional Communication in Preverbal Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Micheal Sandbank, Tiffany Woynaroski, Linda R Watson and 3 others
PMID 28258351WHAT IT FOUND
Motor imitation at study entry was linked to more intentional communication 12 months later in preverbal preschoolers with autism, after initial communication was considered.
Parent physical play and spoken replies were not linked to later intentional communication.
Key findings
01After controlling for initial intentional communication, motor imitation was the only child skill that remained a significant predictor of later intentional communication.
02The model with motor imitation and initial intentional communication accounted for more variance in later intentional communication than initial intentional communication alone (adjusted R2 change = 0.064, p = 0.01).
03Parent linguistic responses and parent responsive physical play were not significantly correlated with later intentional communication.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This was a longitudinal correlational study, so it cannot show that motor imitation caused later intentional communication. The sample was 61 children drawn from a larger study of 87, so it may not represent all preverbal preschoolers with autism. Missing data were 0 to 11% depending on the variable and were handled by imputation. No intervention was provided as part of the study, and therapy hours in the community were not included as a covariate because they were not correlated with later intentional communication. The study does not show whether motor imitation is a useful treatment target for intentional communication.
Declared interests
The supplied text lists no conflicts of interest for Sandbank, Woynaroski, Watson, Gardner, Keceli Kaysili, and Yoder. It does not state who funded the work.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that teaching motor imitation will improve intentional communication. The study was correlational and did not test an intervention, so it shows an association, not a treatment effect.