Abstract
BackgroundTo assess whether taking into account interaction synchrony would help to better differentiate autism (AD) from intellectual disability (ID) and typical development (TD) in family home movies of infants aged less than 18 months, we used computational methods.Methodology and Principal FindingsFirst, we analyzed interactive sequences extracted from home movies of children with AD (N = 15), ID (N = 12), or TD (N = 15) through the Infant and Caregiver Behavior Scale (ICBS). Second, discrete behaviors between baby (BB) and Care Giver (CG) co-occurring in less than 3 seconds were selected as single interactive patterns (or dyadic events) for analysis of the two directions of interaction (CG→BB and BB→CG) by group and semester. To do so, we used a Markov assumption, a Generalized Linear Mixed Model, and non negative matrix factorization. Compared to TD children, BBs with AD exhibit a growing deviant development of interactive patterns whereas those with ID rather show an initial delay of development. Parents of AD and ID do not differ very much from parents of TD when responding to their child. However, when initiating interaction, parents use more touching and regulation up behaviors as early as the first semester.ConclusionWhen studying interactive patterns, deviant autistic behaviors appear before 18 months. Parents seem to feel the lack of interactive initiative and responsiveness of their babies and try to increasingly supply soliciting behaviors. Thus we stress that credence should be given to parents' intuition as they recognize, long before diagnosis, the pathological process through the interactive pattern with their child.
Highlights
Signs of autism Autism is a severe psychiatric syndrome characterized by the presence of abnormalities in reciprocal social interactions, abnormal patterns of communication, and restricted and stereotyped behaviours starting before age 3 [1]
When studying interactive patterns, deviant autistic behaviors appear before 18 months
We stress that credence should be given to parents’ intuition as they recognize, long before diagnosis, the pathological process through the interactive pattern with their child
Summary
Signs of autism Autism is a severe psychiatric syndrome characterized by the presence of abnormalities in reciprocal social interactions, abnormal patterns of communication, and restricted and stereotyped behaviours starting before age 3 [1]. Home movies (ie., naturalistic films recorded by parents during the first years of life) and direct observations of at risk infants are the two most important sources of information for overcoming this problem They have both described children with autism disorder (AD) during the first 18 months as not displaying the rigid patterns described in older children. Early social signs intensify; expressive and receptive language fails to develop, while the lack of inter-subjective skills and of emotional expression persists [4,5] These insights from home movies have been confirmed in studies of at risk children [6,7,8,9] and in studies using retrospective data from parental interviews to assess early signs of AD (Guinchat et al, in revision). To assess whether taking into account interaction synchrony would help to better differentiate autism (AD) from intellectual disability (ID) and typical development (TD) in family home movies of infants aged less than 18 months, we used computational methods
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