Very Early Identification and Intervention for Infants with Prodromes of Autism

Early prodromal signs of autism emerge during the first year of life, a time when brain plasticity is at its maximum level, and may consist of diminished social orienting, responsivity and reciprocity combined with the presence of prolonged visual fixation and repetitive use of objects. Developmental immaturities in communication and motor skills are often present as well.

Despite research evidence showing that it is possible to identify early autism prodromes and intervene to support development, professionals tend to have a monitoring approach, rather than targeting areas of impairment with early intervention. Moreover, the vast majority of current clinical models of autism services require a diagnosis to receive support, however the identification of prodromal signs of autism is generally not sufficient to access early intervention. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a paradigm shift in autism clinical practices in terms of very early identification and intervention.

This research topic aims to present “state of the art” research and clinical practice related to autism identification and intervention during the first year of life, as well as discuss future steps to increase the understanding of brain and behavioral atypicalities during very early development in order to finetuning clinical practices.

Sub-topics of interest include:

1. Early brain and behavioral atypicalities;
2. Prenatal development;
3. Innovative identification practices;
4. Very early intervention.

All article types of the Journal are welcome, including: Original research, Systematic review, Brief research report, Methods, Review, Mini Review, Concept Paper, Innovative Case Report.

Language usage in the autism field is evolving in response to concerns about the objectivity and impacts of traditional terminology. We therefore ask submissions to this research topic to select language carefully to ensure it is respectful to members of the autistic and broader autism communities. For example, terms such as "risk" and "disorder" are increasingly avoided in favor of terms that are often seen as more scientifically neutral and/or strengths-based (e.g., "likelihood," "disability" or "difference"). An increasing number of commentaries and empirical studies address terminology issues and preferences, especially in the English language; we encourage authors to familiarize themselves with that literature if they have not already done so. Starting points may include:

-Bottema-Beutel, K., Kapp, S. K., Lester, J. N., Sasson, N. J., & Hand, B. N. (2021). Avoiding ableist language: Suggestions for autism researchers. Autism in Adulthood, 3(1), 18–29. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2020.0014
-Bradshaw, P., Pickett, C., van Driel, M. L., Brooker, K., & Urbanowicz, A. (2021). ‘Autistic’ or ‘with autism’? Australian Journal of General Practice, 50(3), 104–108. https://doi.org/10.31128/AJGP-11-20-5721
-Dwyer, P., Ryan, J. G., Williams, Z. J., & Gassner, D. L. (2022). First do no harm: Suggestions regarding respectful autism language. Pediatrics, 149(s4), e2020049437N. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-049437N
-Monk, R., Whitehouse, A. J. O., & Waddington, H. (2022). The use of language in autism research. Trends in Neurosciences, 45(11), 791–793. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2022.08.009
-Vivanti, G. (2020). Ask the editor: What is the most appropriate way to talk about individuals with a diagnosis of autism? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50, 691–693. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04280-

Topic Editor Dr. So Hyun Sophy Kim holds shares of the private company, SpectrumKU, for which their employer is also a share holder. Dr. Josephine Barbaro owns background intellectual property for the SACS autism screening tool. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regards to the Research Topic theme. .

Keywords: Early, Identification, Intervention, Behavior, Brain, Atypicality

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.