SOCIAL & AFFECTIVE PROCESSES IN AUTISM: STAART PROGRAM

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 目的1：探讨自闭症儿童的早期发展过程，考察儿童的共生问题行为、能力和气质、家庭中的父母幸福感以及干预服务因素中的强度(每周小时)对自闭症核心症状随时间变化的影响。我们假设 --气质将通过与共同出现的问题行为和能力的关联来影响核心自闭症症状的严重程度，这将直接影响核心自闭症症状。 --假设服务强度直接影响自闭症核心症状的变化。 --最后，父母幸福感的积极和消极影响都被假设为通过与共同出现的问题行为和能力相关联来影响核心自闭症症状。 因此，父母的幸福感和气质对自闭症核心症状的影响预计都是通过共同出现的问题和能力来调节的，这些问题和能力与服务强度具有直接影响。未显示，但假设为模型中的重要控制变量是语言功能和智商、发育生活事件(例如，确诊时的年龄、服务的转变、家庭结构的变化)以及儿童的社会人口特征(性别、种族/种族)。我们预计，在控制变量中，语言将解释最大的方差，而其他控制变量将不会在预测核心自闭症症状时增加显著的独一无二的方差，一旦语言，也许还有智商，包括在模型中。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Aim 1: To investigate the early course of development in children with autism, examining the influence of co-occurring problem behaviors, competencies, and temperament within the child, parental well-being within the family, and intensity (hours per week) within the intervention service factor on change in core autism symptoms over time. We hypothesize that --Temperament will influence severity of core autism symptoms through its association with co-occurring problem behaviors and competencies, which will directly influence core autism symptoms. --Service Intensity is hypothesized to directly affect change in core autism symptoms. --Finally, both positive and negative effects of parental well-being are hypothesized to influence core autism symptoms through their association with co-occurring problem behaviors and competencies. Thus, both the influence of parental well-being and temperament on core autism symptoms is expected to be mediated by co-occurring problems and competencies, which have direct effects along with service intensity. Not shown, but hypothesized to be important control variables in the model are language functioning and IQ, developmental life events (e.g., age at diagnosis, services transitions, changes in family structure), and sociodemographic characteristics of the child (sex, ethnicity/race). We anticipate that among the control variables, language will account for the largest amount of variance and that other control variables will not add significant unique variance in the prediction of core autism symptoms once language, and perhaps IQ, are included in models.