Developmental pathways in early autism
Duration: 38 mins
Description
Professor Emily Jones delves into the realm of autism, a neurodevelopmental condition that affects approximately 2% of the population. She highlights that autism is associated with genetic changes present from conception but often goes undetected until a child enters school. Emily focuses on the significance of prospective longitudinal studies that track infants from early life to childhood, offering insights into the earliest developmental changes that precede the emergence of autistic traits. Within these prospective studies, Emily discusses differences in sensory reactivity across touch, audition, and visual domains, as well as changes in sleep patterns that precede an autism diagnosis. She emphasises the interrelation between sensory differences and sleep patterns, which may also impact emerging trajectories of fearfulness and later anxiety, making them potential targets for supportive interventions. Furthermore, Emily explores how changes in sleep may be connected to alterations in daytime brain states, which have implications for long-term cognitive development. Overall, her research sheds light on the early development of children with neurodevelopmental conditions, with a focus on sensory development and sleep.
Learning Objectives
A. To understand the importance of studying early development in neurodevelopmental conditions
B. To understand the concept of neurodiversity
C. To understand the nature of early changes in sleep and sensory processing that may precede later autism
