To what extent do joint attention, imitation, and object play behaviors in infancy predict later communication and intellectual functioning in ASD?

Syriopoulou-Delli et al. (2012) watched babies later diagnosed with autism. They scored how often each baby showed joint attention, imitation, and complex play with toys.

Years later they tested the same kids on communication and IQ. They asked: do the baby scores predict the later scores?

Kids who had higher baby scores kept higher communication and IQ scores years later. It was the level, not fast growth, that mattered.

In plain words: a two-year-old who already shares gaze and copies actions often will likely speak and reason better at five.

Klintwall et al. (2015) extends this idea. They showed that a toddler's interest level during an ADOS also forecasts how quickly skills grow.

Du et al. (2024) seems to disagree. They found school-age kids with autism imitate worse than peers. The key difference is age: baby imitation predicts future gains, but older kids may still struggle with fine details.

Wu et al. (2014) adds context. They mapped the unique order in which social skills appear in autism. Knowing the sequence helps you pick the right baby behaviors to watch.

You can start screening before age two. Watch for shared gaze, copying hand motions, and stacking toys in new ways. If these are low, plan richer social learning and track progress. Early level, not speed, tells the story.