Odds of Autism at 5 to 10 Years of Age for Children Who Did Not Pass Their AABR Newborn Hearing Screen, But Were Diagnosed with Normal Hearing

Background: Research has found atypical Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) activity in some children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The current study examined whether an association may also be found between ASD and pass/refer results obtained via Automated Auditory Brainstem Response (AABR) screening. As stewards of large-scale AABR data, an AABR – ASD association may be of interest to EHDI programs. Methods: State EHDI data for 29,350 children born in Maine between 2003 and 2005 were linked with education records, including special education status, for the 2010/2011 and 2013/2014 school years. Results: Children who did not pass their AABR screen but were later documented to have typical hearing were at more than eight times the odds of being identified with ASD at 5 to 7 years of age, and over six times the odds at 8 to 10 years of age. Conclusion: Newborns who did not pass their AABR screen but were subsequently diagnosed with typical hearing, experienced higher rates of ASD five to 10 years later. With further research evidence, this may create opportunities for EHDI programs to support and facilitate the work of colleagues in the ASD community, as well as further assist families already touched by EHDI systems

Effects of a parent training using telehealth: Equity and access to early intervention for rural families

Children living in geographically rural areas may have limited access to early, intensive evidence-based interventions suggesting children residing in these areas are less likely to experience positive outcomes than their urban-dwelling peers.  Telehealth offers an option to rural families seeking early intervention by using communication technologies where providers are able to consult and deliver services in real-time over geographical distances. To our knowledge, no other study has examined the implementation of P-ESDM in rural natural environments within the framework of the state’s early intervention program. Using a multiple baseline design across participants, the current study investigated the effects of the parent-Early Start Denver Model implemented within a rural northeastern state’s existing IDEA Part C early intervention program.  Parents demonstrated increased fidelity to intervention strategies and reported satisfaction with the program’s ease of implementation and observed child gains.  Statistically significant pre-to post- change in children’s ASD symptomatology were reported for the domains of communication, social reciprocity and repetitive and restricted behaviors.  Support for parent-mediated interventions, the importance of fidelity of implementation for sustainability of intervention strategies, and the need to explore telehealth as a viable service delivery option to improve developmental trajectories for toddlers with autism are discussed