The relation between early parent verb input and later expressive verb vocabulary in children with autism spectrum disorder

Purpose 

The purpose of this study was to evaluate if higher quantity, diversity, and grammatical informativeness of verb phrases in parent follow-in utterances (i.e., utterances that mapped onto child attentional leads) were significantly related to later expressive verb vocabulary in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
 

Method 

We examined these associations in a sample of 31 toddlers with ASD and their parents in a longitudinal correlational study. Key aspects of parents' verb input were measured in 2 video-recorded 15-min parent–child free-play sessions. Child expressive verb vocabulary was measured using parent report.
 

Results 

An aggregate variable composed of the quantity, diversity, and grammatical informativeness of parent verb input in follow-in utterances across the 2 parent–child sessions strongly and positively predicted later child expressive verb vocabulary, total R2 = .25, even when early child expressive verb vocabulary was controlled, R2 change = .17. Parent follow-in utterances without verbs were not significantly related to later child expressive verb vocabulary, R2 = .001.
 

Conclusions 

These correlational findings are initial steps toward developing a knowledge base for how strong verb vocabulary skills might be facilitated in children with ASD.