A novel method for assessing the development of speech motor function in toddlers with autism spectrum disorders

Katherine Sullivan,Geraldine Dawson,Nandini C. Singh,Megha Sharda,Jessica Greenson

doi:10.3389/fnint.2013.00017

Abstract

There is increasing evidence to show that indicators other than socio-cognitive abilities might predict communicative function in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A potential area of research is the development of speech motor function in toddlers. Utilizing a novel measure called “articulatory features,” we assess the abilities of toddlers to produce sounds at different timescales as a metric of their speech motor skills. In the current study, we examined (1) whether speech motor function differed between toddlers with ASD, developmental delay (DD), and typical development (TD); and (2) whether differences in speech motor function are correlated with standard measures of language in toddlers with ASD. Our results revealed significant differences between a subgroup of the ASD population with poor verbal skills, and the other groups, for the articulatory features associated with the shortest-timescale, namely place of articulation (POA), (p < 0.05). We also found significant correlations between articulatory features and language and motor ability as assessed by the Mullen and the Vineland scales for the ASD group. Our findings suggest that articulatory features may be an additional measure of speech motor function that could potentially be useful as an early risk indicator of ASD.

Highlights

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early onset, complex, and pervasive developmental disorder characterized by significant impairments in social and communication development as well as repetitive and restricted behaviors and interests
On performing a One-Way ANOVA between the LVIQ-ASD, typical development (TD), and developmental delay (DD) groups for each of the articulatory features, we found that there was a significant effect of group (F = 3.98, df = 2, p = 0.029) for the shortest-timescale measure, place of articulation (POA)
We propose the hypothesis that this deviance in the ASD articulatory features maybe due to the presence of aberrant or non-speech sounds in their vocalizations (Wolk and Giesen, 2000) and is possibly reflected in atypical power in the rapidly changing timescales, a feature that is absent in typical toddlers

Summary

Introduction

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early onset, complex, and pervasive developmental disorder characterized by significant impairments in social and communication development as well as repetitive and restricted behaviors and interests. Impairments in communication associated with ASD include delayed onset of babbling (Iverson and Wozniak, 2007), unusual or absent communicative gestures (Baranek, 1999; Mitchell et al, 2006), diminished responsiveness (Mitchell et al, 2006), lack of non-verbal and verbal integration (Tager-Flusberg et al, 2005), aberrant patterns of sound production (Wetherby et al, 1989), and odd vocal quality (Sheinkopf et al, 2000). Young children with ASD, who begin to use and experiment with speech, produce babbles and vocalizations that are often unusual in tone and include repetitive screeching, groaning, humming, or echolalia (Tager-Flusberg and Caronna, 2007). Other reports have shown that the rate of acquiring language in ASD is often slower than other children who have language delays, which may be related to level of cognitive functioning, whereas for other children it may lag behind development in other areas (Lord and Pickles, 1996)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion