Parental Language Input Predicts Neuroscillatory Patterns Associated with Language Development in Toddlers at Risk of Autism

Rachel R Romeo; Boin Choi; Laurel J Gabard-Durnam; Carol L Wilkinson; April R Levin; Meredith L Rowe; Helen Tager-Flusberg; Charles A Nelson 3rd

doi:10.1007/s10803-021-05024-6

Parental Language Input Predicts Neuroscillatory Patterns Associated with Language Development in Toddlers at Risk of Autism

J Autism Dev Disord. 2022 Jun;52(6):2717-2731. doi: 10.1007/s10803-021-05024-6. Epub 2021 Jun 29.

Authors

Rachel R Romeo^{1

2}, Boin Choi³, Laurel J Gabard-Durnam^{3

4}, Carol L Wilkinson³, April R Levin⁵, Meredith L Rowe⁶, Helen Tager-Flusberg⁷, Charles A Nelson 3rd^{3

6

8}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. rachel.romeo@childrens.harvard.edu.
² Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA. rachel.romeo@childrens.harvard.edu.
³ Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1 Autumn Street, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
⁵ Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
⁶ Harvard Graduate School of Education, 13 Appian Way, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
⁷ Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
⁸ Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.

Abstract

In this study we investigated the impact of parental language input on language development and associated neuroscillatory patterns in toddlers at risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Forty-six mother-toddler dyads at either high (n = 22) or low (n = 24) familial risk of ASD completed a longitudinal, prospective study including free-play, resting electroencephalography, and standardized language assessments. Input quantity/quality at 18 months positively predicted expressive language at 24 months, and relationships were stronger for high-risk toddlers. Moderated mediations revealed that input-language relationships were explained by 24-month frontal and temporal gamma power (30-50 Hz) for high-risk toddlers who would later develop ASD. Results suggest that high-risk toddlers may be cognitively and neurally more sensitive to their language environments, which has implications for early intervention.

Keywords: Autism; EEG; Early experience; Language development; Language input.

MeSH terms

Autism Spectrum Disorder* / complications
Autism Spectrum Disorder* / diagnosis
Autistic Disorder* / complications
Child, Preschool
Humans
Infant
Language Development
Parents
Prospective Studies

Abstract

MeSH terms

Grants and funding