Joint Attention and Sensory-Regulatory Features at 13 and 22 Months as Predictors of Preschool Language and Social-Communication Outcomes

• Published in: Journal of speech, language, and hearing research language, and hearing research, 2020-09, Vol.63 (9), p.3100-3116
• Main Authors: Nowell, Sallie W, Watson, Linda R, Crais, Elizabeth R, Baranek, Grace T, Faldowski, Richard A, Turner- Brown, Lauren
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; At Risk Persons; Attention; Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Book publishing; Children; Children & youth; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive ability; Communication; Communication Skills; Expressive Language; Eye Movements; Health aspects; Interpersonal Communication; Interpersonal Competence; Joint attention; Language Acquisition; Language disorders; Language Skills; Perceptual Impairments; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Predictor Variables; Preschool Children; Prognosis; Receptive Language; Sensory Integration; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Thinking Skills; Toddlers; Young Children
• ISSN: 1092-4388; 1558-9102
• DOI: 10.1044/2020_JSLHR-20-00036

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand how joint attention and sensory-regulatory features are related in early childhood and predict language and social-communication outcomes in preschool in order to build mechanistic theories that can inform early intervention directed at improving these outcomes. Method: Cross-lagged panel analysis models were used to examine the association between joint attention and sensory-regulatory features at 13 and 22 months of age in children (n = 87) who were identified via community screening at 12 months as having a higher likelihood than the general population for being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Results: Significant concurrent correlations and predictive correlations were found between these constructs at 13 and 22 months. Joint attention skills at 13 months predicted both joint attention and sensory-regulatory features at 22 months. Distal language and social-communication outcomes at preschool age (n = 48) were best predicted by sensory-regulatory features at 22 months. Conclusions: Both joint attention and sensory regulation are important factors in the first and second years of life for impacting later preschool language and social-communication outcomes in this sample. These findings may have implications for future early childhood intervention research for children at a higher likelihood for autism spectrum disorder.