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. 2022 Mar;16(1):18-26.
doi: 10.1111/cdep.12439. Epub 2022 Jan 19.

Capturing the complexity of autism: Applying a developmental cascades framework

Jessica Bradshaw  1 , Amy J Schwichtenberg  2 , Jana M Iverson  3
Affiliations

Capturing the complexity of autism: Applying a developmental cascades framework

Jessica Bradshaw et al. Child Dev Perspect. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

Developmental change emerges from dynamic interactions among networks of neural activity, behavior systems, and experience-dependent processes. A developmental cascades framework captures the sequential, multilevel, cross-domain nature of human development and is ideal for demonstrating how interconnected systems have far-reaching effects in typical and atypical development. Neurodevelopmental disorders represent an intriguing application of this framework. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is complex and heterogeneous, with biological and behavioral features that cut across multiple developmental domains, including those that are motor, cognitive, sensory, and bioregulatory. Mapping developmental cascades in ASD can be transformational in elucidating how seemingly unrelated behaviors (e.g., those emerging at different points in development and occurring in multiple domains) are part of an interconnected neurodevelopmental pathway. In this article, we review evidence for specific developmental cascades implicated in ASD and suggest that theoretical and empirical advances in etiology and change mechanisms can be accelerated using a developmental cascades framework.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder; developmental cascades; neurodevelopment.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The transition from lying prone or supine to upright sitting transforms infants’ experiences with objects and caregivers. Infants’ ability to coordinate reaching and grasping objects with looking at a caregiver provides new opportunities for rich language input from the caregiver
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The development of attention begins in the neonatal period with modulated levels of arousal and periods of quiet alertness. Subsequent motor, sensory, and cognitive development allow for triadic (infant-object-caregiver) interactions, which provide increased opportunities for social interaction and language
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Atypical sleep early in life can influence several elements of brain development (e.g., synaptic pattern formation and pruning, cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] circulation) and biosocial processes (e.g., arousal). Over- or underarousal, in turn, is associated with self-stimulatory behavior as individuals aim to modulate their arousal using behavioral/physical actions
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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