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. 2010 Aug;40(8):988-99.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-010-0948-4.

A pilot study of maternal sensitivity in the context of emergent autism

Jason K Baker  1 , Daniel S Messinger, Kara K Lyons, Caroline J Grantz
Affiliations

A pilot study of maternal sensitivity in the context of emergent autism

Jason K Baker et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2010 Aug.

Abstract

Unstructured mother-toddler interactions were examined in 18-month-old high- and low-risk children subsequently diagnosed (n = 12) or not diagnosed (n = 21) with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) at 36 months. Differences in maternal sensitivity were not found as a function of emergent ASD status. A differential-susceptibility moderation model of child risk guided investigations linking maternal sensitivity to child behavior and language growth. Group status moderated the relation between sensitivity and concurrent child behavior problems, with a positive association present for children with emergent ASD. Maternal sensitivity at 18 months predicted expressive language growth from age 2 to 3 years among children with emergent ASD only. Findings underscore the importance of understanding parent-child interaction during this key period in the development of autism symptomatology.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Scatter plots for the relation between maternal sensitivity and concurrent child behavior problems at 18 months, by emergent autism spectrum disorder (ASD) status.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Scatter plots for the relation between maternal sensitivity and children’s expressive language change in months (based on age equivalence) from age two to three years, by emergent autism spectrum disorder (ASD) status.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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