Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Supporting Families of Infants At-Risk for ASD Identified Through Community Screening and Surveillance

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Handbook of Parent-Implemented Interventions for Very Young Children with Autism

Part of the book series: Autism and Child Psychopathology Series ((ACPS))

  • 2946 Accesses

Abstract

Screening tools have given us the opportunity to identify risk symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in infants prior to the full expression of symptoms when a definitive diagnosis can be made. Identification of ASD risk via community screening and surveillance is particularly important for the estimated 89% of infants without known genetic risk factors (such as an older sibling with ASD) who will eventually be diagnosed with ASD. Based on the application of a transactional model of development to infants at-risk for ASD, parent-implemented very early interventions have the potential to attenuate the expression of ASD symptoms in these infants and improve outcomes. In this chapter, we will (1) discuss what is known about identification of infants who are at-risk for ASD through community screening, (2) highlight the research to date examining use of parent-implemented very early interventions for infants who were identified as at-risk for ASD via community screening, and (3) offer insight into some of the advantages and obstacles in intervening with this population based on our own research experiences and those of our colleagues who have done similar work.

Collectively, the authors represent the Program in Early Autism Research, Leadership, and Service at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The University of Southern California.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 229.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 299.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 299.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adams, R. C., Tapia, C., & the Council on Children with Disabilities. (2013). Early intervention, IDEA part C services, and the medical home: Collaboration for best practice and best outcomes. Pediatrics, 132(4), e1073–e1088.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (2014). Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 8 years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2010. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 63(2), 1–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baranek, G., Watson, L., Crais, B., Reznick, S. (2003). First Year Inventory (FYI). Unpublished manuscript.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baranek, G. T., Watson, L. R., Turner-Brown, L., Field, S. H., Crais, E. R., Wakeford, L., et al. (2015). Preliminary efficacy of adapted responsive teaching for infants at risk of autism spectrum disorder in a community sample. Autism Research and Treatment, 2015, 386951.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barbaro, J., & Dissanayake, C. (2010). Prospective identification of autism spectrum disorders in infancy and toddlerhood using developmental surveillance: The social attention and communication study. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 31, 376–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barbaro, J., Ridgway, L., & Dissanayake, C. (2011). Developmental surveillance of infants and toddlers by maternal and child health nurses in an Australian community-based setting: Promoting the early identification of autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 26, 334–347.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, M. A., Gustafsson, H., Deng, M., Mills-Koonce, W. R., & Cox, M. (2012). Bidirectional associations among sensitive parenting, language development, and social competence. Infant and Child Development, 21, 374–393.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnlund, D. C. (1970). A transactional model of communication. Language behavior: A book of readings, 43–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baron-Cohen, S., Allen, J., & Gillberg, C. (1992). Can autism be detected at 18 months? The needle, the haystack, and the CHAT. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 839–843.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baron-Cohen, S., Cox, A., Baird, G., Swettenham, J., Nightingale, N. A. T. A. S. H. A., Morgan, K. A. T. E., … Charman, T. (1996). Psychological markers in the detection of autism in infancy in a large population. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 168, 158–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berry, J. O., & Jones, W. H. (1995). The parental stress scale: Initial psychometric evidence. Journal of Personal and Social Relationships, 12, 463–472.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyle, C. A., Boulet, S., Schieve, L. A., Cohen, R. A., Blumberg, S. J., Yeargin-Allsopp, M., … Kogan, M. D. (2011). Trends in the prevalence of developmental disabilities in US children, 1997–2008. Pediatrics, 127, 1034–1042.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chawarska, K., Klin, A., Paul, R., & Volkmar, F. (2007). Autism spectrum disorder in the second year: Stability and change in syndrome expression. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 48, 128–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Constantino, J. N., Zhang, Y., Frazier, T., Abbacchi, A. M., & Law, P. (2010). Sibling recurrence and the genetic epidemiology of autism. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 167, 1349–1356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coury, D. L. (2015). Babies, bathwater, and screening for autism spectrum disorder: Comments on the USPSTF recommendations for autism spectrum disorder screening. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 36(9), 661–663.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crais, E. R., McComish, C. S., Humphreys, B. P., Watson, L. R., Baranek, G. T., Reznick, J. S., … Earls, M. (2014). Pediatric healthcare professionals’ views on autism spectrum disorder screening at 12–18 months. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44, 2311–2328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, G. (2008). Early behavioral intervention, brain plasticity, and the prevention of autism spectrum disorder. Development and Psychopathology, 20, 775–803.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dietz, C., Swinkels, S., van Daalen, E., van Engeland, H., & Buitelaar, J. K. (2006). Screening for autistic spectrum disorder in children aged 14–15 months. II: Population screening with the early screening of autistic traits questionnaire (ESAT). Design and general findings. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36, 713–722.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drake, K., Belsky, J., & Fearon, R. M. (2014). From early attachment to engagement with learning in school: The role of self-regulation and persistence. Developmental Psychology, 50, 1350–1361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans, C. A., & Porter, C. L. (2009). The emergence of mother–infant co-regulation during the first year: Links to infants’ developmental status and attachment. Infant Behavior and Development, 32, 147–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finke, E. H., Drager, K. D. R., & Ash, S. (2010). Pediatricians’ perspectives on identification and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 8(3), 254–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fogel, A. (1993). Developing through relationships. University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freuler, A. C., Baranek, G. T., Tashjian, C., Watson, L. R., Crais, E. R., & Turner-Brown, L. M. (2014). Parent reflections of experiences of participating in a randomized controlled trial of a behavioral intervention for infants at risk of autism spectrum disorders. Autism, 18, 519–528.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gabrielson, T. P., Farley, M., Speer, L., Villalobos, M., Baker, C. N., & Miller, J. (2015). Identifying autism in a brief observation. Pediatrics, 135, e330–e338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gros-Louis, J., West, M. J., Goldstein, M. H., & King, A. P. (2006). Mothers provide differential feedback to infants’ prelinguistic sounds. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 30, 509–516.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guevara, J. P., Gerdes, M., Localio, R., Huang, Y. V., Pinto-Martin, J., Minkovitz, C. S., … Pati, S. (2013). Effectiveness of developmental screening in an urban setting. Pediatrics, 131, 30–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gulsrud, A. C., Jahromi, L. B., & Kasari, C. (2010). The co-regulation of emotions between mothers and their children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 227–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guralnick, M. J. (1993). Second generation research on the effectiveness of early intervention. Early Education and Development, 4, 366–378.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guthrie, W., Swineford, L. B., Nottke, C., & Wetherby, A. M. (2013). Early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder: Stability and change in clinical diagnosis and symptom presentation. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54, 582–590.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howlin, P., Moss, P., Savage, S., & Rutter, M. (2013). Social outcomes in mid- to later adulthood among individuals diagnosed with autism and average nonverbal IQ as children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 52(6), 572–581.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, C. P., & Myers, S. M. (2007). Identification and evaluation of children with autism spectrum disorders. Pediatrics, 120(5), 1183–1215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaiser, A. P., Hemmeter, M. L., Ostrosky, M. M., Fischer, R., Yoder, P., & Keefer, M. (1996). The effects of teaching parents to use responsive interaction strategies. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 16, 375–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J. M., & Mahoney, G. (2005). The effects of mother’s style of interaction on children’s engagement: Implications for using responsive interventions for parents. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 24, 31–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kleinman, J. M., Ventola, P. E., Pandey, J., Verbalis, A. D., Barton, M., Hodgson, S., … Fein, D. (2008). Diagnostic stability in very young children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38, 606–615.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koegel, L., Singh, A., Koegel, R., Hollingsworth, J., & Bradshaw, J. (2014). Assessing and improving early social engagement in infants. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 16, 69–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leezenbaum, N. B., Campbell, S. B., Butler, D., & Iverson, J. M. (2014). Maternal verbal responses to communication of infants at low and heightened risk of autism. Autism, 18, 694–703.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahoney, G., & Macdonald, J. (2007). Autism and developmental delays in young children: The responsive teaching curriculum for parents and professionals. Austin, TX: PRO-ED.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahoney, G., & Powell, A. (1988). Modifying parent-child interaction: Enhancing the development of handicapped children. Journal of Special Education., 22, 82–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahoney, G., Powell, A., & Finger, I. (1986). The maternal behavior rating scale. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 6, 44–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mandell, D., & Mandy, W. (2015). Should all young children be screening for autism spectrum disorder? Autism, 19(8), 895–896.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mullen, E. M. (1995). Mullen scales of early learning. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Myers, S. M., & Johnson, C. P. (2007). Management of children with autism spectrum disorders. Pediatrics, 120, 1162–1182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council (2001). Educating Children with Autism. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Niehus, R., & Lord, C. (2006). Early medical history of children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 27, S120–S127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ozonoff, S., Heung, K., Byrd, R., Hansen, R., & Hertz-Picciotto, I. (2008). The onset of autism: Patterns of symptom emergence in the first years of life. Autism Research, 1, 320–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ozonoff, S., Young, G. S., Carter, A., Messinger, D., Yirmiya, N., Zwaigenbaum, L., … Stone, W. L. (2011). Recurrence risk for autism spectrum disorders: A baby siblings research consortium study. Pediatrics, 128, e488–e495.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ozonoff, S., Young, G. S., Landa, R. J., Brian, J., Bryson, S., Charman, T., … Iosif, A.-M. (2015). Diagnostic stability in young children at risk for autism spectrum disorder: A baby siblings research consortium study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 56, 988–998.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, J. G., & Asher, S. R. (1993). Friendship and friendship quality in middle childhood: Links with peer group acceptance and feelings of loneliness and social dissatisfaction. Developmental Psychology, 29(4), 611–621.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patten, E., Belardi, K., Baranek, G. T., Watson, L. R., Labban, J. D., & Oller, D. K. (2014). Vocal patterns in infants with autism spectrum disorder: Canonical babbling status and vocalization frequency. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44, 2413–2428.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Penner, M., Rayar, M., Bashir, N., Roberts, S. W., Hancock-Howard, R. L., & Coyte, P. C. (2015). Cost-effectiveness analysis comparing pre-diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-targeted intervention with Ontario’s Autism Intervention Program. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, published online 05 May 2015. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2447-0.

  • Pierce, K., Carter, C., Weinfeld, M., Desmond, J., Hazin, R., Bjork, R., et al. (2011). Detecting, studying, and treating autism early: The one-year well-baby check-up approach. The Journal of Pediatrics, 159(3), 458–465.e1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reznick, J. S., Baranek, G. T., Reavis, S., Watson, L. R., & Crais, E. R. (2007). A parent-report instrument for identifying one-year-olds at risk for an eventual diagnosis of autism: The first year inventory. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37(9), 1691–1710.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, S. J., Vismara, L., Wagner, A. L., McCormick, C., Young, G., & Ozonoff, S. (2014). Autism treatment in the first year of life: A pilot study of infant start, a parent-implemented intervention for symptomatic infants. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44, 2981–2995.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sameroff, A.J. (1983) Developmental systems: Contexts and evolution In: P. H. Mussen, Editor, History, theory, and methods (4th ed.), Vol. 1 (pp. 237–294). Wiley., New York, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Self, T. L., Parham, D. G., & Rajagopalan, J. (2015). Autism spectrum disorder early screening practices: A survey of physicians. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 36, 195–207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siu, A. L., & the US Preventive Services Task Force. (2016). Screening for autism spectrum disorder in young children US preventive services task force recommendation statement. Journal of the American Medical Association, 315(7), 691–696.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sparrow, S. A., Cicchetti, D. V., & Balla, D. A. (2005). Vineland adaptive behavior scales (2nd ed.). Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stahmer, A. C., Brookman-Frazee, L., Lee, E., & Searcy, K. (2011). Provider perspectives on earliest intervention for children at risk for autism spectrum disorders. Infants and Young Children, 24(4), 344–363.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stahmer, A. C., Schreibman, L., & Cunningham, A. B. (2011). Toward a technology of treatment individualization for young children with autism spectrum disorders. Brain Research, 1380, 229–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, S. A., Cotton, W., Pan, X., & Ratliff-Schaub, K. (2012). Comparison of systematic developmental surveillance with standardized developmental screening in primary care. Clinical Pediatrics, 51, 154–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner, L. M., & Stone, W. L. (2007). Variability in outcome for children with an ASD diagnosis at age 2. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 48, 793–802.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner-Brown, L. M., Baranek, G. T., Reznick, J. S., Watson, L. R., & Crais, E. R. (2013). The first year inventory: A longitudinal follow-up of 12-month-old to 3-year-old children. Autism, 17, 527–540.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, K. S., & Rogers, S. J. (2010). Intervening in infancy: Implications for autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 51, 1300–1320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warlaumont, A. S., Richards, J. A., Gilkerson, J., & Oller, D. K. (2014). A social feedback loop for speech development and its reduction in autism. Psychological Science, 25, 1314–1324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, L. R., Crais, E. R., Baranek, G. T., Turner-Brown, L., Sideris, J., Wakeford, L., Kinard, J., Reznick, J. S., Martin, K. L., & Nowell, S. W. (2017). Parent-mediated intervention for one-year-olds screened as at-risk for autism spectrum disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47, 3520–3540.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wetherby, A. M., & Prizant, B. M. (2002). Communication and symbolic behavior scales—Developmental profile: Infant toddler Checklist .(1st normed ed. Baltimore, MD: Brookes.

    Google Scholar 

  • Worley, J. A., Matson, J. L., Mahan, S., Kozlowski, A. M., & Neal, D. (2011). Stability of symptoms of autism spectrum disorders in toddlers: An examination using the baby and infant screen for children with aUtIsm traits-part 1 (BISCUIT). Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 14, 36–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoder, P. J., & Warren, S. F. (2001). Intentional communication elicits language-facilitating maternal responses in dyads with children who have developmental disabilities. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 106, 327–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zuckerman, K. E., Lindly, O. J., & Sinche, B. K. (2015). Parental concerns, provider response, and timeliness of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Journal of Pediatrics, 166, 1431–1439.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Linda R. Watson, Sallie W. Nowell & Elizabeth R. Crais

  2. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Grace T. Baranek & Linn Wakeford

  3. TEACCH Autism Program, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Lauren Turner-Brown

Authors
  1. Linda R. Watson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sallie W. Nowell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elizabeth R. Crais
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Grace T. Baranek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Linn Wakeford
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lauren Turner-Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Linda R. Watson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Autism and Related Disorders, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Michael Siller

  2. Division of Autism and Related Disorders, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

    Lindee Morgan

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Watson, L.R., Nowell, S.W., Crais, E.R., Baranek, G.T., Wakeford, L., Turner-Brown, L. (2018). Supporting Families of Infants At-Risk for ASD Identified Through Community Screening and Surveillance. In: Siller, M., Morgan, L. (eds) Handbook of Parent-Implemented Interventions for Very Young Children with Autism. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90994-3_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation