IDEAL

Identifying and Distinguishing Early indicators of Autism in Latino children

The current project will identify and measure the early developmental trajectories of language and communication skills of Latino children and assess and characterize the emergence of autism symptoms among Latino children with a high and low likelihood of autism. The team will 1) identify and distinguish Latino children's language and communication profiles through a cross-sectional analysis (e.g., data collected from many people at one point in time); 2) assess and characterize the developmental trajectories of language and communication skills (English, Spanish) in Latino children between 1 and 5 years of age, and 3) assess and characterize the developmental trajectories of autism symptoms between 1 and 5 years of age in Latino children. The results of this study will help identify the developmental points when language and communication diverge between Latino children with a high and low likelihood of autism. Furthermore, the results will help clarify when and how autism symptoms can be distinguished between Latino children with a high and low likelihood of autism.