Category
Theoretical Proposal
Description
The dissertation is a comparative analysis of cognitive and social performance between toddlers aged 18 to 36 months with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Speech Delay (SD). Although both groups show early communication difficulties, their developmental patterns are vastly different, and they should be adequately separated to inform intervention planning and future developmental prognoses. Firmly rooted in the context of Developmental Psychopathology, Social Pragmatic Theory, and the Ecological Systems Theory by Bronfenbrenner, this qualitative study aims to investigate ways in which toddlers with SD and ASD are different in their cognitive functioning, including executive functioning, nonverbal IQ, and problem solving, social-communication skills, including joint attention, symbolic play, eye gaze, and reciprocity.
The basis of data integration is clinical reports, observational assessments, and parents' documentation in the existing academic literature. The moderating variables (age at diagnosis, socioeconomic status, and type of intervention) and mediating variables (receptive language, early gestures, and joint attention) are highlighted. The results indicate that children with ASD have more global deficits in social reciprocity and symbolic play. Contrarily, toddlers with SD have relatively high nonverbal cognitive but inconsistent social effects related to environmental and parental conditions. Early social communication patterns foresaw subsequent cognitive and language developments, and there was a value in timely screening and personalized intervention.
The study is vital in its contribution to differential diagnosis in early childhood and the enhancement of clinical approaches to intervention tailoring. In the view of biblical integration, the study takes a turn with Proverbs 31:8-9, which encourages the care of the vulnerable groups. Keywords: Speech Delay, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Toddlers, Cognitive Outcomes, Social Communication, Early Intervention
A Comparative Analysis of Cognitive and Social Outcomes in Toddlers with Speech Delay (SD) Versus Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Theoretical Proposal
The dissertation is a comparative analysis of cognitive and social performance between toddlers aged 18 to 36 months with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Speech Delay (SD). Although both groups show early communication difficulties, their developmental patterns are vastly different, and they should be adequately separated to inform intervention planning and future developmental prognoses. Firmly rooted in the context of Developmental Psychopathology, Social Pragmatic Theory, and the Ecological Systems Theory by Bronfenbrenner, this qualitative study aims to investigate ways in which toddlers with SD and ASD are different in their cognitive functioning, including executive functioning, nonverbal IQ, and problem solving, social-communication skills, including joint attention, symbolic play, eye gaze, and reciprocity.
The basis of data integration is clinical reports, observational assessments, and parents' documentation in the existing academic literature. The moderating variables (age at diagnosis, socioeconomic status, and type of intervention) and mediating variables (receptive language, early gestures, and joint attention) are highlighted. The results indicate that children with ASD have more global deficits in social reciprocity and symbolic play. Contrarily, toddlers with SD have relatively high nonverbal cognitive but inconsistent social effects related to environmental and parental conditions. Early social communication patterns foresaw subsequent cognitive and language developments, and there was a value in timely screening and personalized intervention.
The study is vital in its contribution to differential diagnosis in early childhood and the enhancement of clinical approaches to intervention tailoring. In the view of biblical integration, the study takes a turn with Proverbs 31:8-9, which encourages the care of the vulnerable groups. Keywords: Speech Delay, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Toddlers, Cognitive Outcomes, Social Communication, Early Intervention
