4 results
2 Infant Imitation: Detecting Risk in the First Year with PediaTrac™
- Samantha Levick, Michelle Lobermeier, Angela D. Staples, Jennifer C. G. Larson, Renee Lajiness-O’Neill
-
- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 510-511
-
- Article
-
- You have access Access
- Export citation
-
Objective:
Imitation has pervasive associations with social and communicative development. However, few methods have been developed to measure this construct in typically developing infants, and even less is available for at-risk populations, such as infants born preterm. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a particular risk of premature birth, is associated with atypical imitation and social communication. Although imitation emerges in infancy, most current screening and diagnostic tools for ASD cannot be utilized prior to 12 months. The present study aimed to develop and validate a caregiver-report measure of infant imitation, characterize imitation profiles at 4, 6, and 9 months in term and preterm infants, and explore the relationship between imitation and scores on an ASD screening questionnaire at 18 months.
Participants and Methods:Participants (N = 571) were recruited from a larger multi-site study of PediaTrac™ v3.0, a web-based tool for monitoring and tracking infant development, and were surveyed longitudinally at birth, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 months. Participants completed the online PediaTrac™ survey and several reliable and validated questionnaires via pen-and-paper format. For the purposes of this study, only the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (3rd ed.; ASQ-3), Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales-Developmental Profile (CSBS-DP), Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ), and the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers - Revised with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/F) were examined. The following hypotheses were tested: (1) proposed imitation items will represent a unitary latent construct, for which convergent and discriminant validity will be demonstrated, (2) there will be measurement invariance between term status groups at each assessment period, (3) preterm infants will obtain lower caregiver-reported imitation scores compared to term infants, and (4) imitation abilities at the assessment period with the most robust imitation factor will predict M-CHAT-R/F scores at 18 months.
Results:Distinct imitation factors at 4, 6, and 9 months were modeled with confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses. Relationships between the factors and established measures of infant communication (CSBS; ASQ) and sleep (BISQ) revealed convergent and discriminant validity, respectively. Strict measurement invariance was demonstrated for the 4- and 9-month factors, and metric invariance for the 6-month measure. Full term infants scored higher on imitation at 9 months, though variance in this outcome was related to term status differences in sensorimotor skills. Lastly, the 9-month imitation factor, coupled with 6-month sensorimotor skills, predicted 18-month ASD risk over and above gestational age.
Conclusions:This study provides support for the assessment of infant imitation, utilizing imitation to detect risk in preterm infants, and extending the age of identification for ASD risk into the first year. PediaTrac™ imitation, in combination with the PediaTrac™ sensorimotor domain, may be useful in detecting developmental risk, and specifically risk for ASD, within the first year, leading to earlier initiation of intervention. Further, with its minimal completion time and ease of dissemination through digital platforms, this measure can expand access to care and improve long-term outcomes for children and families.
69 Psychometric Properties of the PediaTrac Social/Communication/Cognition Domain
- Michelle Lobermeier, Samantha Levick, Trivellore Raghunathan, Patricia Berglund, Seth Warschausky, Alissa Huth-Bocks, H. Gerry Taylor, Angela D Staples, Jennifer Cano, Renee Lajiness-O’Neill
-
- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 744-745
-
- Article
-
- You have access Access
- Export citation
-
Objective:
Research has established the importance of early identification and intervention for children with developmental disorders and delays. In striving toward earlier recognition and treatment of developmental concerns, it is crucial to have a universal system to monitor infant and toddler development over time. This system should comprehensively assess the desired areas of development, be based on normative data from large samples, and have strong psychometric properties. While a few developmental monitoring tools are currently in use, they lack many of the aforementioned qualities. The current study reports on the cross-sectional psychometric properties of PediaTrac, which is a novel caregiver-report measure of infant and toddler development. Specifically, this study focuses on psychometric properties of PediaTrac’s social/communication/cognition (SCG) domain during the first 9 months of life.
Participants and Methods:The current sample included 571 caregiver-infant dyads recruited into term (n=331) and preterm (n=240) groups. Participants were from the PediaTrac multisite, longitudinal study and were socioeconomically (41.9% below median income) and racially (33.6% Black, 47.6% White, 11.0% multiracial/other) diverse. Data included caregiver reports of infant development from the SCG domain of PediaTrac at 5 sampling periods (newborn, 2, 4, 6, and 9 months). Item response theory (IRT) graded response modeling was used to estimate theta, an index of the latent trait, social/communication/cognition. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to further examine the underlying structure of the SCG domain.
Results:Mean theta values could be reliably estimated at all time periods and followed a linear trend consistent with development. At 9 months, theta values were statistically different between the term and preterm groups, indicating that term infants demonstrated more advanced SCG abilities. Item parameters (discrimination and difficulty) could be modeled at each time period across the range of ability. Reliability of the SCG domain ranged from 0.97 to 0.99. Results of the EFA suggested a two-factor solution (affect/emotional expression, social responsiveness) at the newborn period accounting for 43% of the variance, a three-factor solution (affect/emotional expression, social responsiveness, imitation/emerging communication) at the 2-, 4-, and 6-month periods accounting for 43%, 34%, and 34% of the variance, respectively, and a four-factor solution (affect expression, social responsiveness, imitation/communication, nonverbal/gestural communication) at the 9-month period accounting for 34% of the variance.
Conclusions:The PediaTrac SCG domain has strong psychometric properties, including reliability estimates higher than other existing caregiver-report measures of SCG abilities. EFA analyses demonstrated that the structure of affect/emotional expression and social responsiveness remains relatively stable and may reflect affective and regulatory aspects of temperament. Conversely, the quality and type of communication continually develops and becomes more differentiated throughout the time periods of interest. Notably, parents appear to be capable of observing and reliably reporting on their infants’ abilities in these areas. The use of a universal screening tool developed with rigorous psychometric methods, such as PediaTrac, could transform the way that clinicians identify infants in need of early intervention.
The role of language ability and self-regulation in the development of inattentive–hyperactive behavior problems
- Isaac T. Petersen, John E. Bates, Angela D. Staples
-
- Journal:
- Development and Psychopathology / Volume 27 / Issue 1 / February 2015
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 15 July 2014, pp. 221-237
-
- Article
- Export citation
-
Previous research has found associations but not established mechanisms of developmental linkage between language ability and inattentive–hyperactive (I-H) behavior problems. The present study examined whether self-regulation mediates the effect of language ability on later I-H behavior problems among young children (N = 120) assessed at 30, 36, and 42 months of age. Cross-lagged panel models tested the direction of effect between language ability and self-regulation and longitudinal effects of language ability on later I-H problems mediated by self-regulation. Language ability was measured by children's scores on the receptive and expressive language subtests of the Differential Ability Scales. Self-regulation was measured by three behavioral tasks requiring inhibitory control. I-H problems were reported by parents and secondary caregivers. Language ability predicted later self-regulation as measured by all three tasks. There was no association, however, between self-regulation and later language ability, suggesting that the direction of effect was stronger from language ability to later self-regulation. Moreover, the effect of language ability on later I-H behavior problems was mediated by children's self-regulation in one of the tasks (for secondary caregivers' but not parents' ratings). Findings suggest that language deficits may explain later I-H behavior problems via their prediction of poorer self-regulatory skills.
6 - Behavior Regulation as a Product of Temperament and Environment
- Edited by Sheryl L. Olson, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Arnold J. Sameroff, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
-
- Book:
- Biopsychosocial Regulatory Processes in the Development of Childhood Behavioral Problems
- Published online:
- 02 July 2009
- Print publication:
- 16 February 2009, pp 116-143
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
The field of developmental psychopathology (Achenbach, 1974; Sroufe & Rutter, 1984) identifies risk factors and models the processes by which risks relate to behavior problems. One type of model posits that risks add in a linear way to increase the chances that a child will develop problems. This type of model has been well supported. Research to date has established that adverse rearing conditions, such as excessively hostile parenting or poverty (e.g., Rothbaum & Weisz, 1994), and adverse personal qualities of children, such as neurological dysfunctions or difficult temperament (Moffitt, 1993; Rothbart & Bates, 2006), are correlated with behavior problem outcomes. The more such adversities are present, the stronger the prediction of later behavior problems (Appleyard, Egeland, van Dulmen, & Sroufe, 2005; Deater-Deckard, Dodge, Bates, & Pettit, 1998). Some additive risk models postulate mediating factors and thus provide a more satisfying account of developmental process; for example, the experience of physical abuse leads to deviant social cognition, which, in turn, leads to aggressive behavior (Dodge, Bates, & Pettit, 1990; Dodge, Pettit, Bates, & Valente, 1995).
However, linear combinations of even relatively large numbers of predictors tend to account for less than half of the variance in behavioral adjustment (e.g., Deater-Deckard et al., 1998). Part of this shortcoming may be due to failure to specify enough of the many possible risk factors.