Health Discoveries in General Health News
Early intervention for autistic toddlers aids socialization
December 17, 2010
Early intervention for toddlers with autism can improve how they connect with others and socialize, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
The pediatrics study by researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute is the first clinical trial that measured how group-based early intervention affects the social development in autistic toddlers.
"We placed a heavy focus on the ability of toddlers to pay attention to other people's actions and communication behaviors and prepare them to respond and initiate with others in socially appropriate ways," said Rebecca Landa, director of the institute's Center for Autism and Related Disorders.
The study included two groups of autistic toddlers, ages 21 to 33 months. They both received intervention for six months, but one group was given more opportunities for social interaction. That group showed greater improvement in their social connectedness through eye contact while they imitated others, their ability to gain others' attention in order to share something with them and in shared emotions through facial expressions and eye contact.
Several developmental clinical trials related to children's health are ongoing through the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, the research facility of the North Shore-LIJ Health System.
The pediatrics study by researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute is the first clinical trial that measured how group-based early intervention affects the social development in autistic toddlers.
"We placed a heavy focus on the ability of toddlers to pay attention to other people's actions and communication behaviors and prepare them to respond and initiate with others in socially appropriate ways," said Rebecca Landa, director of the institute's Center for Autism and Related Disorders.
The study included two groups of autistic toddlers, ages 21 to 33 months. They both received intervention for six months, but one group was given more opportunities for social interaction. That group showed greater improvement in their social connectedness through eye contact while they imitated others, their ability to gain others' attention in order to share something with them and in shared emotions through facial expressions and eye contact.
Several developmental clinical trials related to children's health are ongoing through the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, the research facility of the North Shore-LIJ Health System.