Developmental Changes in Empathic Concern and Self-Understanding in Toddlers at Genetic Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Toddlers with an older sibling with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and low risk (LR) toddlers were observed at 22, 28, and 34 months during two empathy probes: a crying baby and an adult who pretended to hurt her finger. Toddlers with a later ASD diagnosis showed less empathic concern and self-distr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of autism and developmental disorders 2017-09, Vol.47 (9), p.2690-2702
Main Authors: Campbell, Susan B., Moore, Elizabeth L., Northrup, Jessie, Brownell, Celia A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adults
Age Differences
At Risk Persons
Autism
Autistic children
Behavior
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Child and School Psychology
Child development
Children
Crying
Developmental Stages
Emotions
Empathy
Genetic susceptibility
Individual differences
Infants
Influence
Medical diagnosis
Neurosciences
Original Paper
Pain
Parent Attitudes
Pediatrics
Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Preschool children
Probes
Psychological aspects
Psychological distress
Psychology
Public Health
Self
Siblings
Social Development
Toddlers
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Summary:Toddlers with an older sibling with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and low risk (LR) toddlers were observed at 22, 28, and 34 months during two empathy probes: a crying baby and an adult who pretended to hurt her finger. Toddlers with a later ASD diagnosis showed less empathic concern and self-distress at each age on both empathy probes than LR toddlers. HR toddlers with no diagnosis showed growth in empathic concern between 22 and 34 months in response to the adult’s pain, differing from the children with ASD, but not the LR children, by 34 months. Developmental changes in parent-rated self-understanding showed a similar pattern. Results highlight individual differences in the social development of HR toddlers.
ISSN:0162-3257
1573-3432
DOI:10.1007/s10803-017-3192-3