title: Brief Report: Ages of Language Milestones as Predictors of Developmental Trajectories in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
abstract: Recognizing early risk markers in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is critical for timely diagnosis and intervention. The purpose of this study was to extend previous findings regarding language milestones to a longitudinal design, in which ages of expressive language milestones (i.e., first words, first phrases) could serve as predictors of developmental trajectories in a heterogeneous sample of young children with ASD (N = 98; age at first assessment: M = 32 months, SD = 5). Age of first words predicted trajectories of expressive language and adaptive skills; number of words predicted each outcome examined. Because these aspects of early language show promise as potential indicators of later functional outcomes, future research on developmental processes as they relate to individual differences will be particularly informative.
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, 1417 N.E. 42nd St., Seattle, WA, 98105, USA. skover@u.washington.edu.
authors.forename: Sara T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Kover
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Edmunds
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.|Waisman Center, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ellis Weismer
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007802:Language; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
keywords: First words; Language development; Trajectories