A prospective study of associations between early fearfulness and perceptual sensitivity and later restricted and repetitive behaviours in infants with typical and elevated likelihood of autism.

ABSTRACT:

Lay abstract

Restricted interests and repetitive behaviours are central to the diagnosis of autism and can have profound effects on daily activities and quality of life. These challenges are also linked to other co-occurring conditions such as anxiety and sensory sensitivities. Here, we looked at whether early emerging signs of anxiety and sensory problems appear before symptoms of autism by studying infants with a family history of autism, as these infants are more likely to develop autism themselves. Studying infant siblings provides an opportunity for researchers to focus on early developmental markers of autism as these infants can be followed from birth. This study found that early infant signs of anxiety (e.g. fear/shyness) predicted later perceptual sensitivity, and those in

SUBMITTER: Narvekar N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9597143 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature