Caregiver Speech and Infant Brain Development in Siblings of Children with Autism
Official title: Caregiver Speech and Brain-Behavior Development in Infants At-Risk for ASD
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11540457 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows babies who have an older sibling with autism to explore how caregiver talk and everyday interactions relate to early brain and behavior development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | May 20, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $32,400 |
| NIH project number | 3R01DC019660-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11540457 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Infants at high familial risk for autism (e.g., having an older sibling with autism) and whose families consent to home language recording and lab-based assessments.
✕Less likely to help
Infants without elevated familial risk or those whose families choose not to participate may not benefit from this specific study.
What this research studies
If your baby has a higher family risk for autism, this study will collect home language recordings at 6 and 12 months to see how caregiver speech and infant vocalizations relate to brain and behavior growth. Researchers will use advanced computer tools to measure how much and what kind of talk happens in daily life, plus laboratory play sessions to capture detailed interactions. The goal is to identify early patterns that could inform gentle, presymptomatic steps to support development. The study collaborates with the IBIS Network to track 250 high-risk infants over time. Participation could help us learn how to support children at risk for autism earlier and more effectively.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could guide earlier, more personalized strategies to support communication and brain development in infants at risk for autism.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research in similar cohorts has shown meaningful links between early caregiver interactions and later developmental trajectories, supporting the approach of this study.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Swanson, Meghan Rae — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Swanson, Meghan Rae
Related research
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Caregiver talk and infant brain development in babies at risk for autism
This project follows babies who have an older sibling with autism to see how everyday caregiver speech and babies’ brain and behavior grow together in the first year of life.
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How caregiver speech affects brain and behavior development in infants at risk for autism.
This study is looking at how the way caregivers talk to their babies, especially those with an older sibling with autism, can help support their brain and behavior development in the first year of life, with the hope of finding ways to help them before any signs of autism appear.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.