Caregiver talk and infant brain development in babies at risk for autism
Official title: Caregiver Speech and Brain-Behavior Development in Infants At-Risk for ASD
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11325007 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
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) | $651,583 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC019660-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11325007 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Infants who have an older sibling with autism and are around 6 to 12 months old.
✕Less likely to help
Families not at high familial risk for autism or those outside the age window may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
If your child has an older sibling with autism, this study will observe how caregivers speak to their babies and how the babies’ brain and behavior develop over the first year. Researchers will collect home recordings of daily caregiver and infant speech when the babies are 6 and 12 months old, and also study play sessions in the lab using advanced analysis tools. The goal is to understand whether supportive caregiver talk might help reduce the risk or impact of autism symptoms before they appear. The study collaborates with the IBIS Network to build on a large existing cohort of high-risk infants. Participation could involve frequent but noninvasive assessments and family-friendly visits designed to minimize burden.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Gaining knowledge about early factors that influence autism development could inform earlier, more effective interventions for at-risk infants.
How similar studies have gone: Related longitudinal work with high-risk infants has shown meaningful insights into early predictors and caregiver effects, making this approach promising.
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
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Caregiver Speech and Infant Brain Development in Siblings of Children with Autism
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.
-
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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.