Divergent biases for conspecifics as early markers for Autism Spectrum Disorders
This study investigated whether infants who lack foundational perceptual biases to attend to auditory and visual characteristics of conspecifics are more likely to develop deficits in social communication skills that are characteristic of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptomatology. The study recruited low-risk infants, with no immediate family members diagnosed with ASD, and high-risk infants, with at least one older sibling diagnosed with ASD, from New York, United States of America. Between 2012 and 2018, over 140 infants were assessed at ages 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months.
Study design
Cohort
Number of participants at first data collection
143 (participants)
Age at first data collection
6 months (participants)
Participant year of birth
Varied (participants)
Participant sex
All
Representative sample at baseline?
No
Sample features
Country
Year of first data collection
2012
Primary Institutions
New York University (NYU)
Profile paper DOI
Funders
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Ongoing?
No
Data types collected
- Audio or visual recordings (e.g. of child behaviour, facial expressions)
- Computer, paper or task testing (e.g. cognitive testing, theory of mind doll task, attention computer tasks)
- None
- None
- None
Engagement
Keywords
