Communicative Non-Word Vocalizations: Behavioral Patterns, Autism Spectrum Disorder Risk, and Communicative Significance

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2010
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Haverford College. Department of Psychology
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Award
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eng
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Bi-College users only
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Abstract
This study sought to elucidate the communicative function of Communicative Non-Word Vocalizations (CNWV’s). CNWV’s were examined particularly in the context of developmental trends and the emergence of other communicative and developmental behaviors within a population of infants at heightened risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders at three age groups. There was a tendency for the frequency of CNWV’s in infants to increase from 8- to 13-months, and then decrease at 18-months. Point behaviors increased with age, most severely between 13- and 18-months, and exhibited a trend toward a surprising pattern with the frequency of infants’ shifts in visual attention. Based on the literature, we expected that communicative behaviors surrounding CNWV’s would increase with age, but in the case of visual attention, these shifts tended to decrease concurrently with the increase in Point behaviors. This may have implications for Joint Attention. While differences between heightened and low risk groups for ASD were largely not significant, there was a tendency for fewer communicative behaviors to be exhibited in heightened risk infants. This study illuminated a potential area of future study toward a better understanding of Joint Attention. While many results were not significant, trends corroborated the claims in the literature that a decreased frequency of communicative behaviors is demonstrated in infants at heightened risk for ASD and indicated a new time frame in which to examine these developmental trends.
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