Early intervention for infants and toddlers with or at an elevated likelihood for autism spectrum disorder can promote developmental skills and improve lifelong outcomes. Yet, many children with ASD are not diagnosed until after age 3. In order to improve early detection of ASD, we are investigating very early predictors of social communication challenges in infants as young as 1 week to 4 months of age.

This research study examines how the development of attention and motor skills in the first year of life is associated with the emergence of social and communication skills in three groups of infants: infants who are first born or who have a sibling with no developmental delays, infants who have an older sibling diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and infants who were born preterm.

Hearing loss is common, but many people don't realize they have it until years after it begins. This study will explore whether everyday speech and conversation can reveal early signs of hearing loss. In one part of the study, we will record conversations between participants and healthcare professionals to study how speech patterns may differ in people with and without hearing loss. In another part, we will review transcripts from past clinic visits to see if certain patterns, like pauses or asking for things to be repeated, are linked to hearing problems. The goal is to develop tools that can help identify hearing loss earlier and more easily, using conversations that happen naturally during clinic visits.