Predicting Useful Speech in Children With Autism

描述（由申请人提供）：三个儿童特征被认为会减缓或阻止一些ASD儿童的口语发展，这些特征特别难以测量：(a)缓慢的言语处理，(b)非典型的文字处理，(c)非典型的言语前发声。提议的项目旨在改进这些特征的测量，并解决以下研究问题：(a)语音处理的速度、文字处理的典型化和发声的复杂性（即三个新的假定的语言预测因素）是否与最初患有ASD的非语言学龄前儿童后来的生产性或接受性词汇水平有积极的预测关系？(b)在ASD儿童中，三个新的假定的语言预测因素之间的并发相关性是否积极和显著？(c)言语处理的速度或文字处理的典型性与后来的词汇水平之间的关系能否通过对最初非语言自闭症儿童的儿童导向言语的注意的共变来解释？(d)在最初的非语言自闭症儿童中，发声的复杂性和后来的生产性语言之间的关系是否可以通过与口头交流或口头运动能力的总体测量的共变来解释？该补充研究将使用现有的R01纵向相关设计，并对已经在家长R01基金中招募的自闭症儿童进行亚组研究，以达到目的。补充资金将用于(a)招募35名典型发育（TD）婴儿的新样本，(b)评估TD样本和R01更大的ASD样本亚组中的事件相关电位（erp），以及(c)评估ASD亚组中发声的复杂性。我们将对40名学龄前儿童（24 - 48个月）的语音或单词（以及它们的对比刺激）进行erp评估，这些儿童在r01 -研究开始时是非语言的，而35名典型发育（TD）婴儿在词汇理解上是匹配的（大约8 - 18个月），以测量语音处理的速度或文字处理的典典性。根据我们过去在这些人群中获得“良好”ERP数据的比率，每个样本中ERP数据的预期可分析样本量为30。一种利用TD婴儿ERP数据的新方法将被实施，以得出ASD组在处理方面的个体差异。在ASD参与者的亚组中，将收集儿童发声的全天录音样本，使用最近开发的声学分析方法（即，第一次同行评议的使用发表在2010年7月10日的PNAS上，Oller et al., 2010）来估计ASD儿童发声的发展水平。这项工作将提高我们对ASD学龄前非语言儿童早期口语发展差异的理解，以及ASD人群独有的语言预测因素之间的相互关系模式。这一认识将最终为选择现有的沟通治疗方法提供经验指导，并帮助我们为非语言自闭症儿童开发新的沟通治疗方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Three child characteristics thought to decelerate or prevent spoken language development in some children with ASD that are especially difficult to measure are (a) slow speech processing, (b) atypical word processing, and (c) atypical pre-speech vocalizations. The proposed project seeks to improve the measurement of these characteristics and to address the following research questions: (a) Do speed of speech processing, typicality of word processing, and complexity of vocalizations (i.e., the three new putative predictors of language) have positive, predictive relations with later productive or receptive lexical levels in initially nonverbal preschoolers with ASD? (b) Are the concurrent correlations among the three new putative predictors of language positive and significant in children with ASD? (c) Can the relation between speed of speech processing or typicality of word processing and later lexical levels be explained by covariation with attention to child-directed speech in initially nonverbal children with ASD? (d) Can the relation between complexity of vocalizations and later productive language be explained by covariation with gross measures of vocal communication or oral-motor ability in initially nonverbal children with ASD? The supplement will use an existing R01's longitudinal correlational design and a subgroup of the children with ASD that are already being recruited in the parent R01 grant to address the aims. The supplemental funds will be used to (a) recruit a new sample of 35 typically developing (TD) infants, (b) assess event-related potentials [ERPs] in the TD sample and the subgroup of the R01's larger ASD sample, and (c) assess complexity of vocalizations in the ASD subgroup. ERPs to speech sounds or words (and their contrast stimuli) will be assessed in 40 preschoolers (24 - 48 months) with ASD who are initially nonverbal at R01-study entry and 35 typically developing (TD) infants who are matched on lexical comprehension (approximately 8 - 18 mos.) to measure speed of speech processing or typicality of word processing. Based on our past rates of attaining "good" ERP data in these populations, expected analyzable sample size for the ERP data is 30 in each sample. A novel use of TD infants' ERP data will be implemented to derive measures of individual differences in processing in the ASD group. In the subgroup of ASD participants, day-long audio-recorded samples of children's vocalizations will be collected to derive estimates of the developmental level of ASD children's vocalizations using a very recently-developed acoustic analysis method (i.e., 1st peer-reviewed use was published in PNAS on 7/10/2010, Oller et al., 2010). The work will improve our understanding of the variance in early spoken language development in initially nonverbal preschoolers with ASD and the pattern of intercorrelation among selected putative predictors of language that may be unique to the ASD population. This understanding will eventually provide empirical guidance in selecting among existing communication treatments and help us develop new communication treatments for nonverbal children with autism. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This revision is responding to PA-10-158 (Research on Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders), which is intended to support research goals for the Strategic Plan for ASD. The strategic plan for ASD research contains a long-term goal of understanding the heterogeneity of ASD. The proposed research will improve our understanding of the variance in early spoken language development in initially nonverbal preschoolers with ASD, set-up future research to provide empirical guidance in selecting among existing communication treatments, and generate data that will stimulate future development of new communication treatments for nonverbal children with autism.