This article is from the fall 2024 issue of DISCOVERY, the Thompson Center’s research newsletter.
The Early Years Study is a project that analyzes audio recordings of infant cries to discover new ways to identify early signs of autism and developmental disabilities. The Thompson Center joined this study in late 2022 and so far has collected over 1,200 unique infant cry recordings.
The study has been analyzing mothers’ perceptions of their infant’s cries in real-time. Mothers will rate their child’s cries on a four point scale of typicality or distress. The study has found that different characteristics of the mother can affect how cries are perceived. With the current data collected, mothers who presented with higher levels of subclinical autism traits rated their infants’ cries as more typical. For example, a mother from this category could have rigid tendencies and have sensory differences, and they would perceive their infant’s cries as more typical. Mothers of older children with autism rated their infant’s cries as less typical and first-time mothers rated their child’s cry as more distressing.
What are subclinical autism traits?
When evaluating for an autism diagnosis, many traits are considered: difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication, rigid behavior, aloofness, special interests, and more. It’s the combination of these characteristics that make up autism, and any of these traits can be present in someone without autism. After all, autistic traits are human traits!
When these characteristics are present in a person that does not have autism, they are considered subclinical autism traits.
This study has also gathered data about the connection of subclinical autism traits between each child’s parents. Researchers analyzed the parents’ scores on an evaluation used to assess subclinical autism traits. These comparisons found that autism-related characteristics identified in one parent are likely to be seen in the other parent. This initial data suggests that individuals may subconsciously seek out partners with similar traits as them, which may have contributed to the rise in autism diagnoses over the past 20 years. A better understanding of this connection of subclinical autism traits in parents could lead to a more comprehensive autism assessment in their children by being able to look at the parent’s traits as a potential indicator.
A unique aspect of this study is that the data can be collected remotely. Mothers submit their child’s cries through an app and rate the cries. As the children are followed into their third year of life, mothers respond to periodic online surveys about their children’s development and behaviors. The online surveys are parent-report forms often used by pediatricians during well-child visits. Initial analysis of the data collected from these online surveys of more than 300 infants indicate that the temperament of the infant reported by the mother at nine months can predict the social communication and sensory regulatory behaviors related to autism that is reported at 12 months.
This study aims to find practical tools that can be used by pediatricians for early autism detection. Findings from this study could allow for earlier and quicker diagnoses, giving parents and families access to services sooner.