Analysis of unconventional (less recognizable) and conventional (more recognizable) gestures in children with autism

This study is intended to examine gestures of autistic children. In general, research has shown that autistic children communicate through gestures, but the developmental pathway is different from non-autistic children. This study is an attempt to identify the gestural forms unique to the autistic child that are communicative but not typically identified as gestural communication. The aim is to understand all gestural forms of communication autistic children are attempting to convey that caregivers, educators, and professionals may be missing or not recognized as communicative.

1. Caregiver report of child diagnosed with autism.
2. Child is between 4.0 years – 8.11 years of age.
3. Autism Diagnosis verified by Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) or Autism Diagnosis Interview – Revised (ADI-R) within the last three years and reported by the caregiver in the online survey.
4. Caregiver report of autistic child’s vocabulary less than or equal to 25 words and no self-generated phrases.
5. Caregiver report of autistic child struggling to communicate needs and wants through recognizable means per caregiver report.
6. Caregiver report of autistic child not having a consistent way of communicating.
7. Caregiver unable to connect some body movements to meaning.
8. Caregiver willingness to participate in and complete an online survey.

The first phase of this study will be an online survey conducted with the caregiver(s) requiring about 30 minutes of their time. The next phase of the study is an optional online interview conducted by the researcher. The final phase of this study is also optional. In the final phase, caregivers will be asked to record the caregiver and the child at home in a 20-minute play time experience. Participation in any phase of the study is not required.

This study will contribute to the understanding of gestural development of children with autism. Gesture is understood as a precursor to language acquisition and a companion to the use of language for both non-autistic and children with autism. The developmental sequence of gestures used in present-day assessments, developmental charts, developmental surveys, and interventions, is built entirely from non-autistic standards. Few studies, if any, describe the function of autistic children’s unconventional gestural forms, even though unconventional gestural forms are identified more often, almost exclusively, in autistic children’s gestural development. This study will add to the understanding of conventional and unconventional gesture forms and functions used by children with autism.