Adapting the Early Communication Indicator as a Social Communication Outcome Measure for Young Autistic Children: A Pilot Study.

Purpose: We sought to conduct a pilot investigation of the reliability and administration fidelity of a new play-based measure of social communication for infants and toddlers with an autism diagnosis.

Method: Our team adapted an existing measure, the Early Communication Indicator (ECI), for use with young autistic children in clinical and research contexts. In this brief report, we detail our adaptation process including administration and scoring of the final adapted measure based on data from a two-phase pilot study with young autistic children ( = 17).

Child-adult speech diarization in naturalistic conditions of preschool classrooms using room-independent ResNet model and automatic speech recognition-based re-segmentation.

Speech and language development are early indicators of overall analytical and learning ability in children. The preschool classroom is a rich language environment for monitoring and ensuring growth in young children by measuring their vocal interactions with teachers and classmates. Early childhood researchers are naturally interested in analyzing naturalistic vs controlled lab recordings to measure both quality and quantity of such interactions.

Exploring Growth in Expressive Communication of Infants and Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

One of the earliest indicators of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is delay in language and social communication. Despite consensus on the benefits of earlier diagnosis and intervention, our understanding of the language growth of children with ASD during the first years of life remains limited. Therefore, this study compared communication growth patterns of infants and toddlers with ASD to growth benchmarks of a standardized language assessment.

Exploring a Novel Tool to Measure Wandering Behavior in the Early Childhood Classroom.

Wandering, or random movement, affects cognitive and social skills. However, we lack methods to objectively measure wandering behavior. The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the use of the Ubisense real-time location system (RTLS) in an early childhood setting to explore wandering in typically developing (TD) children ( = 2) and children with or at risk for developmental disabilities (WA-DD; = 3).

Automated Measures to Understand Communication Opportunities for Young Children With Autism in the Community: A Pilot Study.

Community participation is vital to children's development and provides opportunities to practice social communication skills. Although previous studies suggest that young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience decreased community participation, there is little empirical evidence on the precise patterns of participation that may influence social communication opportunities. Therefore, this pilot study investigated the communication among families of children with ASD ( n = 5) versus typical development (TD; n = 5) across various community locations.

Measuring Social Communication in the Community: Novel Tools for Advancing Family Participation.

Natural contexts and family involvement are key features of effective intervention approaches. However, the measurement of community participation and parent engagement with children remains complex. Therefore, we examined the feasibility of combining use of the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) system and a global positioning system (GPS; i.

Automated Language Environment Analysis: A Research Synthesis.

Purpose: The Language Environment Analysis (LENA®) represents a breakthrough in automatic speech detection because it makes one's language environment, what adults and children actually hear and say, efficiently measurable. The purpose of this article was to examine (a) current dimensions of LENA research, (b) LENA's sensitivity to differences in populations and language environments, and (c) what has been achieved in closing the Word Gap.

Method: From electronic and human searches, 83 peer-reviewed articles using LENA were identified, and 53 met inclusionary criteria and were included in a systematic literature review.

Exploring paraprofessional and classroom factors affecting teacher supervision.

Background: Paraprofessionals serve a primary role in supporting students with disabilities in the classroom, which necessitates teachers' supervision as a means to improve their practice. Yet, little is known regarding what factors affect teacher supervision.

Aims: We sought to identify how paraprofessional competence and classroom type affected the levels of teacher direction.

Long-Term Impact of a Cell Phone-Enhanced Parenting Intervention.

Home visiting programs support positive parenting in populations at-risk of child maltreatment, but their impact is often limited by poor retention and engagement. The current study assessed whether a cellular phone-supported version (PCI-C) of the Parent-Child Interactions (PCI) intervention improved long-term parenting practices, maternal depression, and children's aggression. Low-income mothers ( n = 371) of preschool-aged children were assigned to one of the three groups: PCI-C, PCI, and a wait-list control (WLC) group.

An automated approach to measuring child movement and location in the early childhood classroom.

Children's movement is an important issue in child development and outcome in early childhood research, intervention, and practice. Digital sensor technologies offer improvements in naturalistic movement measurement and analysis. We conducted validity and feasibility testing of a real-time, indoor mapping and location system (Ubisense, Inc.

The questions verbal children with autism spectrum disorder encounter in the inclusive preschool classroom.

This study investigated questions adults asked to children with autism spectrum disorder in inclusive pre-kindergarten classrooms, and whether child (e.g. autism severity) and setting (i.

Child and setting characteristics affecting the adult talk directed at preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder in the inclusive classroom.

Difficulty with social competence is a core deficit of autism spectrum disorder. Research on typically developing children and children with disabilities, in general, suggests the adult talk received in the classroom is related to their social development. The aims of this study were to examine (1) the types and amounts of adult talk children with autism spectrum disorder are exposed to in the preschool classroom and (2) the associations between child characteristics (e.

Using the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) system in preschool classrooms with children with autism spectrum disorders.

This study describes the language environment of preschool programs serving children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and examines relationships between child characteristics and an automated measure of adult and child language in the classroom. The Language Environment Analysis (LENA) system was used with 40 children with ASD to collect data on adult and child language. Standardized assessments were administered to obtain language, cognitive, and autism severity scores for participants.