CONTRIBUTORS TO COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN AUTISM

该项目将确定前兆、关联和后果 自闭症儿童的社交和沟通能力。第一 研究将明确家庭和学校的特点 与沟通和语言技能相关的环境 在患有自闭症的非常年幼的儿童中，并预测他们在 这些技能是在一年的时间里完成的。核心假设是 测试结果是，虽然自闭症是由生物决定因素引起的， 环境因素有助于这些社交技能， 这对自闭症儿童的未来发展起着至关重要的作用。 需要检验的一个更具体的假设是，最优 自闭症儿童的发展需要响应性的照顾 以及提供结构化的体验。身份的鉴定 社会沟通技能的环境相关性对 制定干预措施的计划。第二项研究继续纵向研究 对51名3-5岁自闭症儿童的跟踪调查 年龄以及一年和八年后。的目标 这一后续行动将把这一时期的紊乱进程绘制成图表 青春期晚期和成年期早期，并决定其后果 早期的个体差异，为以后的交流、社交和 适应能力。

This project will identify the precursors, correlates, and consequences of social and communicative skills in children wit autism. The first study will specify the characteristics of the home and school environment that are associated with communication and language skills in very young children with autism and are predictive of their gains in these skills over the course of a year. The central hypothesis to be tested is that, while autism is caused by biological determinants, environmental factors contribute to those social communication skills, which crucially determine the later development of children with autism. A more specific hypothesis to be examined is that the optimal development of children with autism requires both responsive caregiving and the provision of structured experiences. The identification of environmental correlates of social communication skills is crucial for the planning of interventions. The second study continues the longitudinal follow-up of a sample of 51 children with autism who were tested at 3-5 years of age as well as one and eight years later. The objectives of this follow-up are to chart the course of the disorder into the period of late adolescence and early adulthood and determine the consequences of earlier individual differences for later communicative, social, and adaptive abilities.