Pivotal Response Treatment for Infants At-Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Pivotal Response Treatment for Infants At-Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

The purpose of this study aims to investigate the utility of Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), a behaviorally derived intervention, to improve the quality and frequency of communication and social engagement of toddlers with siblings who have an autism spectrum disorder (SIBS - ASD) and who demonstrate developmental delays and impairments in social interaction between 12 and 15 months of age.

Inclusion Criteria:

• toddlers, age 12 - 15 months, who have an older sibling with ASD
• delays of at least 1.5 standard deviations in communication (receptive/expressive language) based on developmental testing
• scores that exceed the ASD cutoff on standardized measures of social-communicative behavior

Exclusion Criteria:

• physical or neurological disorder (e.g., seizures, cerebral palsy)