Study Findings:
Paving the Way for Early Autism Diagnosis
What We're Learning, Thanks to You and Your Family:
The NURTURE Study is possible because of families like yours. By sharing your time, experiences, and trust, you’re helping us learn more about how babies grow, connect, and communicate — especially in families with a history of autism. The insights below come from both the current study and related research built from it. We believe families deserve to see what we’re learning, how it may relate to their own experiences, and how it can shape better support for future generations. Thanks to your involvement, we’re learning more every day about how babies grow and connect.
EarliPoint Evaluation for Autism
With the help of eye tracking data from previous NURTURE participants, EarliPoint (TM) Evaluation has been FDA authorized for use in children between 16 and 30 months of age to aid in the diagnosis and assessment of autism. See here and here for 2023 scientific papers on the development of EarliPoint (TM) and below for a press release.
Caregiver Greeting Behavior in Infants Under 6 Months
Ford et al. (2023)
Early Interactions Between Caregivers and Infants
From the very beginning, babies and caregivers are learning how to connect with one another. This study looked at how caregivers naturally greeted their babies — things like smiling, widening their eyes, or using a playful voice — all before the babies were 6 months old.
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We found that in families where a child was later diagnosed with autism, these greeting behaviors happened a little less often and a little later. But this wasn’t because caregivers were doing anything wrong — it may reflect how some babies engage differently very early on.
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Once these greetings began, they became a consistent part of the caregiver–baby connection. This shows how caregivers tune into their babies over time.
Learning about these early patterns helps us understand how babies and caregivers communicate together — and how we might support those relationships with greater care from the very beginning.
Early Interactions
What We Studied
How caregivers greet babies under 6 months old such as like smiling, leaning in, or making eye contact.
What We Observed
What We Found
Caregivers of babies later diagnosed with autism greeted their babies less often and a little later — possibly reflecting early differences in how babies respond.
Why It Matters
Why It Matters for Families
It’s not about parenting style — it’s about how babies and caregivers are already “tuning” to each other. This research can help shape earlier, more supportive tools — like helping caregivers understand early differences in communication, and ensuring families feel confident and connected from the start.
Listening Closely to How Babies Begin to Communicate
Long et al., (2024)
Let's talk about baby talk
As infants learn to talk, they will first produce a series of speech- like sounds such as squeals, growls and babbling featuring consonant and vowel- like sounds (like baba) before their first word. This study examined infant babbling as an early sign of autism.
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Previous studies in this field had suggest that delayed or reduced babbling can been seen in infants who would later be diagnosed with autism. In this study we followed a group of autistic and typically developing infants over their first year of life. Babies were audio recorded every month for one day and the sounds they babies made during that day were examined.
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Results from this study showed that the rate at which babies babble was lower in boys with autism and higher in girls with autism when compared to babies without autism. Boys are diagnosed with autism 3-4 time more often than girls and this study supports the idea that there may be sex differences in autism that require further study.
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Baby Babbling
What We Studied
The noises babies with and without autism make and the rate at which they make those noises.
What We Observed
What We Found
The relationship between rate of baby babbling and autism diagnosis is complicated as boys with autism showed delayed babbling while girls with autism displayed more babbling when compared typically developing peers.
Why It Matters
Why It Matters for Families
Differences in early vocal sounds can be an indication of autism in babies but there are differences in boys and girls. Early communication supports are important to families and further research could lead to better programs for children and families.
Caregiver Perspectives on Participation in Pediatric Neuroimaging Research
Olson et al., (manuscript in progress)
Bringing Caregiver Voices to the Forefront of Infant Neuroimaging Research
Caregivers who previously participated in our infant MRI study were invited to join focus groups to share their experiences to discuss what worked, what didn’t, and what they wish researchers knew.
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Through these conversations, we gained valuable insights into what it’s like to participate in infant MRI studies from a parent’s point of view. Caregivers shared how they made the decision to participate, how the actual experience felt, and how future studies could better support families like theirs.
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From their feedback, three main themes emerged:
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Motivations for participating – including helping science, accessing information about their child’s development, and supporting autism research
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Participant experiences – what made them feel supported (or not), from communication to scan day logistics
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Suggestions for the future – ways to make infant MRI studies more accessible, comfortable, and inclusive for all families​
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This collaborative approach helped us improve how we design and run infant brain imaging studies with caregivers as partners every step of the way.
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Infant MRI Experiences
What We Studied
We asked caregivers who had previously participated in the MRI portion of our longitudinal study to join focus groups. We wanted to understand their experiences, thoughts, and suggestions around having their infants take part in MRI research.
What We Learned
What We Found
Parents who had previously participated in infant MRI studies shared their experiences in focus groups, offering valuable insights into what it’s like to involve their babies in neuroimaging research.
Their voices helped us identify three central themes:
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Why families choose to participate (altruism, trust, curiosity)
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How they experienced the research process (logistics, communication, staff interactions)
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What could improve future studies (suggestions on flexibility, language, preparation)
Why It Matters
Why It Matters for Families
Caregiver input directly influenced improvements to our MRI research practices, including better communication protocols, enhanced preparation materials, and adjustments to scheduling and setup. These changes aim to make future studies more family-friendly and inclusive, helping researchers and families work together to advance developmental science.