Table 1.
Descriptive characteristics of the participants.
| Characteristic | Low-risk controls (LRC) | High risk + ASD (HRA+) | High risk − ASD (HRA−) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 18 | 10 | 18 |
| Sex | 5 M, 13 F | 7 M, 3 F | 8 M, 10 F |
| ADOS score (36 mo.) a, M ± SD | 2.1 ± 2.2 | 8.5 ± 4.3 | 2.6 ± 1.8 |
| Language T scores b | |||
| 12 months EL | 50.1 ± 7.3 | 41.1 ± 5.2 | 45.8 ± 8.6 |
| 12 months RL | 45.9 ± 9.5 | 39.6 ± 9.8 | 43.7 ± 7.0 |
| 18 months EL | 50.8 ± 5.8 | 40.2 ± 11.3 | 53.1 ± 8.1 |
| 18 months RL | 52.2 ± 13.6 | 48.0 ± 9.2 | 50.6 ± 15.3 |
| 24 months EL | 55.6 ± 10.5 | 48.0 ± 9.2 | 55.7 ± 7.7 |
| 24 months RL | 54.9 ± 8.5 | 49.4 ± 10.9 | 56.4 ± 7.8 |
Note. ASD = autism spectrum disorder; ADOS = Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (Lord et al., 2000); EL = expressive language; RL = receptive language.
a
Diagnosis of ASD was made on the basis of an ADOS score ≥ 7.
b
Mullen Early Learning Scales (Mullen, 1985) T scores: 20–30: very low, 31–39: below average, 40–60: average, 61–69: above average, 70–80: very high.