CALGARY – Infants’ response to speech patterns could hold clues to the early detection of autism, say University of Calgary researchers.
A study of infants whose siblings are already diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) suggests recognizing characteristics of early speech development and communication could allow for quicker treatment, said Suzanne Curtin.
“The sooner we can see differences in behaviours that are specific to infants who go on to receive a diagnosis of ASD, the sooner we can send these infants to targeted intervention programs,” said Curtin, head of the U of C’s speech development lab.
Earlier detection leads to more effective treatment, she said.
The research found evidence young children who don’t respond well to so-called infant-directed speech could have trouble communicating later — a symptom of ASD.
It’s vital to determine how infants acknowledge speech rhythms, said Jennifer Ference, a masters of science student in clinical psychology.
“A vital step in language learning is the infant’s ability to identify words in speech and one way they can do this is by relying on their knowledge of their language’s rhythmic pattern,” said Ference.
It’s been found that older ASD children have difficulty deciphering certain speech patterns that include speaker emotion or sarcasm.
The speech lab is seeking new study subjects — particularly families with children already diagnosed with ASD and a younger sibling aged between two months and two years.
The lab’s number is 403-220-2444.
bill.kaufmann@sunmedia.ca
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