CliniKids' research roundup

Here’s a quick look at some of the published research to come out of CliniKids recently:

The course and prognostic capability of motor difficulties in infants showing early signs of autism (published in Autism Research journal).

Our researchers were involved in a study which investigated fine motor skills in infants (9-14 months) as a potential identifier for children on the autism spectrum. Key takeaways:

• Delays in the motor domain are often overlooked as an early surveillance marker for autism.
• This prospective study evaluated gross and fine motor development over a 6-month period in infants recruited at 9-14 months showing early behavioural signs of autism.
• Findings of this study highlight the potential clinical value of including evaluation of motor skills within early autism surveillance.

Abstract: https://bit.ly/3wyAAxx

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Get it right, make it easy, see it all: Viewpoints of autistic individuals and parents of autistic individuals about the autism diagnostic process in Australia (published in Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders).

Key takeaways:

• Three consumer viewpoints about important components in the autism diagnostic process were found. Viewpoints were: Get it right, make it easy, and see it all.
• These viewpoints help clinicians understand the wants and needs of consumers in the autism diagnostic process.
• These results can be used to revise autism diagnostic practices in Australia to better meet the needs of the autism and autistic communities.

Abstract: https://bit.ly/3iO8tq2

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The associations between autistic and communication traits in parents and developmental outcomes in children at familial risk of autism at 6 and 24 months of age (published in Infant Behavior and Development).

In this study, our researchers looked at the associations between autistic and communication traits in parents and developmental outcomes in kids at familial risk of autism. Key takeaways:

• Parental communication and level of subclinical traits resembling autism are related to offspring communication and autism severity. These associations were found to emerge in childhood, however, we knew very little about such associations in infancy.
• We explored how parent communication and autistic-like traits are related to child development at 6 and 24 months of age.
• Associations between parent variables and child social-emotional competence were found to emerge as early as 6 months of age.
• These findings can have important implications for how we monitor child development. Furthermore, the findings provide evidence of the value of assessing interventions that target infancy and are tailored to not only infant but parent characteristics as well.

Abstract: https://bit.ly/35nNiDx