What are the odds? Predicting the likelihood of a negative episode in a sample of toddlers with autism spectrum disorder.
Amanda Dimachkie Nunnally, Kyle Sterrett, Amanda Gulsrud and 1 others
PMID 34098753WHAT IT FOUND
Ignoring a toddler's request for help or jumping in before they ask made a negative episode more likely.
Specific comforting actions did not change the odds. Watch for the child's cues and wait for them to ask before stepping in.
Key findings
01Caregiver unresponsiveness to a child's bid made a subsequent negative episode 4.86 times more likely.
02Caregiver proactiveness, or responding to perceived need without a clear bid, made a subsequent negative episode 4.52 times more likely.
03The use of emotional co-regulation strategies by caregivers did not significantly change the likelihood of a subsequent negative episode.
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 task was artificial and caregivers were told not to help unless asked, which may not reflect daily life. The sample was small and limited to toddlers with ASD, so results may not apply to older children or other populations. Behaviors were coded as separate items, missing how caregiver and child actions influence each other in real time. There was no comparison group of typically developing children to see if these patterns are unique to ASD.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that comforting strategies like physical contact or distraction are ineffective. They were rarely used in this specific task, so the study could not determine if they help in natural settings.