A Mother’s Sensitivity Promotes Language Development in Toddlers with EASD

December 31, 1969 — Coral Gables — A new study by researchers from the University of Miami shows that maternal sensitivity may influence language development among children who go on to develop autism. Although parenting styles are not considered as a cause for autism, this report examines how early parenting can promote resiliency in this population. The study entitled, 'A Pilot Study of Maternal Sensitivity in the Context of Emergent Autism,' is published online this month and will appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 'Language problems are among the most important areas to address for children with autism, because they represent a significant impairment in daily living and communication,' says Daniel Messinger, associate professor in the department of psychology at the University of Miami (UM) College of Arts and Sciences and principal investigator of a larger study of infants at-risk for autism, which includes this study. Maternal sensitivity is defined in the study as a combination of warmth, responsiveness to the child's needs, respect for his or her emerging independence, positive regard for the child, and maternal structuring, which refers to the way in which a mother engages and teaches her child in a sensitive manner. For example, if a child is playing with colored rings, the mother might say, 'This is the green ring,' thus teaching the child about his environment, says Messinger. In this study, maternal sensitivity (and primarily, sensitive structuring) was more predictive of language growth among toddlers developing autism than among children who did not go on to an autism diagnosis.