Atypical social referencing in infant siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders.

TitleAtypical social referencing in infant siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2012
AuthorsCornew L, Dobkins KR, Akshoomoff N, McCleery JP, Carver LJ
JournalJ Autism Dev Disord
Volume42
Issue12
Pagination2611-21
Date Published2012 Dec
ISSN1573-3432
KeywordsAttention, Child, Child Development, Child Development Disorders, Pervasive, Child, Preschool, Emotions, Endophenotypes, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant Behavior, Male, Risk Factors, Siblings, Social Behavior
Abstract

Social referencing was investigated in 18-month-old siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD; "high-risk infants"). Infants were exposed to novel toys, which were emotionally tagged via adults' facial and vocal signals. Infants' information seeking (initiation of joint attention with an adult) and their approach/withdrawal behavior toward the toys before versus after the adults' emotional signals was measured. Compared to both typically developing infants and high-risk infants without ASD, infants later diagnosed with ASD engaged in slower information seeking, suggesting that this aspect of referencing may be an early indicator of ASD. High-risk infants, both those who were and those who were not later diagnosed with ASD, exhibited impairments in regulating their behavior based on the adults' emotional signals, suggesting that this aspect of social referencing may reflect an endophenotype for ASD.

DOI10.1007/s10803-012-1518-8
Alternate JournalJ Autism Dev Disord
PubMed ID22456817
PubMed Central IDPMC3593052
Grant ListAS1695 / / Autism Speaks / United States
R01 HD052804 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
R01 NS071580 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States
R01HD052804-01A2 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
R21 HD043739 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
Category: 
IRG Funded