title: What do home videos tell us about early motor and socio-communicative behaviours in children with autistic features during the second year of life--An exploratory study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the first half year of life of individuals later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). There is even a complete lack of observations on the first 6 months of life of individuals with transient autistic behaviours who improved in their socio-communicative functions in the pre-school age.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare early development of individuals with transient autistic behaviours and those later diagnosed with ASD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exploratory study; retrospective home video analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  18 males, videoed between birth and the age of 6 months (ten individuals later diagnosed with ASD; eight individuals who lost their autistic behaviours after the age of 3 and achieved age-adequate communicative abilities, albeit often accompanied by tics and attention deficit).
  
  
  METHODS
  The detailed video analysis focused on general movements (GMs), the concurrent motor repertoire, eye contact, responsive smiling, and pre-speech vocalisations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Abnormal GMs were observed more frequently in infants later diagnosed with ASD, whereas all but one infant with transient autistic behaviours had normal GMs (p<0.05). Eye contact and responsive smiling were inconspicuous for all individuals. Cooing was not observable in six individuals across both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GMs might be one of the markers which could assist the earlier identification of ASD. We recommend implementing the GM assessment in prospective studies on ASD.
authors.affiliation: Foundation for Autism Research, Inc., New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zappella
authors.affiliation: Research Unit iDN - interdisciplinary Developmental Neuroscience, Institute of Physiology, Center for Physiological Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria. Electronic address: christa.einspieler@medunigraz.at.
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Einspieler
authors.affiliation: Research Unit iDN - interdisciplinary Developmental Neuroscience, Institute of Physiology, Center for Physiological Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Katrin D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Bartl-Pokorny
authors.affiliation: Research Unit iDN - interdisciplinary Developmental Neuroscience, Institute of Physiology, Center for Physiological Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krieber
authors.affiliation: Foundation for Autism Research, Inc., New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.affiliation: Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Department of Women's & Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bölte
authors.affiliation: Research Unit iDN - interdisciplinary Developmental Neuroscience, Institute of Physiology, Center for Physiological Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Department of Women's & Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Marschik
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D011187:Posture; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012919:Social Behavior; D014743:Videotape Recording
keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Cooing; Early signs; Eye contact; Fidgety movements; General movements; Home video analysis; Responsive smiling; Tourette syndrome