A study will soon appear in the highly regarded Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. The results of this study deserve some attention. Professor Daniel Messinger with the University of Miami conducted a large study of infants at-risk for autism.

Dr. Messinger reports that mothers’ sensitivity may play a key role in language growth. Maternal sensitivity is defined as warmth, responsiveness to the children’s needs and respect for their emerging independence. “For example, if a child is playing with colored rings, the mother might say, ‘This is the green ring,’ thus teaching the child about his environment.” By the way, these are behaviors that the early childhood fields understand as appropriate and desired for all children from birth on up.

According to the study, “parents may matter even more for children with developmental problems such as autism because certain things that tend to develop easily in children with typical neurological development don’t come naturally for kids with autism, so the skills need to be taught,” reports Dr. Jason Baker who carried out the study along with Dr. Messinger.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded this study and found that these results paralleled the findings of previous research. “We know that parenting doesn't cause autism. The message here is that parents can make a difference in helping their children fight against autism,” Baker says.

Source: Science Daily, February 25, 2010

In a recent Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) study, some interesting results occurred that need further attention.  This study is of interest to me because it has a treatment and a control group of K-1 children.  Autistic children in the treatment used a software program targeting a child’s receptive and expressive language.  “Over the three-month test period, students using the software saw up to a 200% increase in performance scores on the software.  The children gained two to five months more developmental growth than the control-group using the Brigance Assessment and with less one-to-one instruction.“  Teachers report that attention and focus improved.  The software was tied to the California state standards, and there were significant increases in language, auditory processing, academics, and social skills compared with those of students who were not introduced to the software.

Critics of the data are concerned that perhaps the children do well only on the computer but are unable to transfer the learning to everyday function.  According to one teacher in the study, the transfer is being made.  While the study size was small, it does warrant further attention.  The study was funded by the National Center for Technology Innovation (NCTI) and included 47 LAUSD children with autism--22 in the treatment group and 25 in the control group.  It took place in four schools that consisted of four pre-school classes and four kindergarten or first-grade classes.

Source: eSchool News, January 2010