A newly published trial from Kennedy Krieger Institute reveals a promising path forward for infants showing early signs of social communication delays.
The study found that targeted coaching for caregivers of infants as young as 8 months significantly enhances babies’ communication and cognitive development. Caregivers in the trial received 16 in-home sessions with a trained developmental psychologist. Strategies included narrating an infant’s actions, such as saying “you rolled the ball,” and choosing toys that support language, attention, and engagement.
This is one of the first trials to evaluate parent-led interventions for infants under 12 months with social delays. Dr. Rebecca Landa, executive director of the Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI) and study lead author, says this model empowers families by helping them to learn strategies to increase their infant’s engagement and communication.
“We know early development sets the stage for lifelong outcomes,” said Dr. Landa. “This study shows we don’t have to wait for a diagnosis to act. Parents can make meaningful progress with their babies through an effective set of strategies.”
Key findings from the study include:
- Caregivers who received coaching in use of child engagement strategies were more effective during interactions with their babies than those who received general education alone.
- Infants in the coaching group showed greater gains in face-to-face social engagement and nonverbal learning.
- Joint attention, such as looking between a toy and a person, nearly doubled in the intervention group.
- Caregiver use of targeted strategies increased by 20% after the trial.
- Improvements lasted at least eight weeks post-intervention.
Social communication delays are early indicators of disorders such as autism, but interventions often don’t begin until age 2 or 3 years. This study presents a strong case for starting support in the first year of life when the brain is most adaptable.
“This research shows that starting intervention before children are expected to talk could have a major impact on communication development,” said Dr. Landa. “Instead of waiting and watching, we can start supporting families when concerns arise and potentially prevent more significant delays from taking hold.”
