Gesture development in toddlers with an older sibling with autism.
BACKGROUND
Nonverbal communication deficits are characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and have been reported in some later-born siblings of children with ASD (heightened-risk (HR) children). However, little work has investigated gesture as a function of language ability, which varies greatly in this population.


OBJECTIVE
This longitudinal study characterizes gesture in HR children and examines differences related to diagnostic outcome (ASD, language delay, no diagnosis) and age.


METHODS
We coded communicative gesture use for 29 HR children at ages 2 and 3 years during interactions with a caregiver at home.


RESULTS
Children in the ASD group produced fewer gestures than their HR peers at 2 years, though large individual differences were observed within each subgroup at both ages. In addition, reliance on particular types of gestures varied with age and outcome. Both ASD and language delay children exhibited a pattern of reduced pointing relative to their no diagnosis peers.


CONCLUSIONS
Similarities and differences exist between communication in HR infants with language delay and their HR peers, reinforcing our understanding of links between verbal and nonverbal communication in populations at risk for language delay.
Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Eve Sauer
ES
LeBarton
Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Jana M
JM
Iverson
D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005868:Gestures; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D009633:Nonverbal Communication; D035781:Siblings
autism spectrum disorders (ASD); gesture; language