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Longitudinal follow-up of children with autism receiving targeted interventions on joint attention and play . OBJECTIVE This study examines the cognitive and language outcomes of children with an autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) over a 5-year period after receiving targeted early interventions that focused on joint attention and play skills . METHOD Forty children from the original study ( n = 58 ) had complete data at the 5-year follow-up . RESULTS In all , 80 % of children had achieved functional use of spoken language with baseline play level predicting spoken language at the 5-year follow-up . Of children who were using spoken language at age 8 years , several baseline behaviors predicted their later ability , including earlier age of entry into the study , initiating joint attention skill , play level , and assignment to either the joint attention or symbolic play intervention group . Only baseline play diversity predicted cognitive scores at age 8 years . CONCLUSIONS This study is one of the only long-term follow-up studies of children who participated in preschool early interventions aimed at targeting core developmental difficulties . The study findings suggest that focusing on joint attention and play skills in comprehensive treatment models is important for long-term spoken language outcomes .
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Intervention_Educational
joint attention
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Intervention_Educational
play
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Intervention_Educational
targeted early interventions that focused on joint attention and play skills .
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Intervention_Educational
joint attention or symbolic play
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Outcome_Mental
cognitive and language outcomes
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Outcome_Mental
functional use of spoken language
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Outcome_Mental
joint attention skill , play level
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Outcome_Mental
long-term spoken language outcomes
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Participant_Age
children
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Participant_Condition
autism
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Participant_Age
children
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Participant_Condition
autism spectrum disorder ( ASD )
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Participant_Sample-size
Forty
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Participant_Age
children
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Participant_Age
children
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Participant_Condition
core developmental difficulties