Amy Wetherby, distinguished research professor and Director of the Florida State University College of Medicine Autism Institute, is the senior author on this article published by the Society for Research in Child Development.
A new study documents that observable social-communication differences for infants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) unfold by 9 months, pointing to a critical window for targeted intervention.
"If a parent or caregiver is aware of differences in social communication, they can learn how to use intervention strategies that create opportunities for social interaction and communication development early on," Wetherby said. "This can provide parents or caregivers with support to enrich the language environment that may help shift developmental trajectories for infants with ASD."