A Pilot Study on Patterns of Skill Development of Neurotypical Children as Measured by the ABLLS-R: Implications for Educational Programming for Children With Autism

Many assessments used to measure the skills of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis lack data that delineates patterns of skill development by neurotypical children. In the current pilot study, we administered the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills-Revised (ABLLS-R) to neurotypical children (N = 53) between the ages of six and 72 months to examine typical skill development across the major skill sets and repertoires of the ABLLS-R. We found that skills from the Basic Learner skills section emerged and developed earlier (i.e., by age five) than those from the other skills sections. By age six, children mastered their motor skills and 90% of the self-help skills. Academic skills took the longest to emerge and develop with children mastering only 51% of the related skills by age six. Implications of these findings, as they relate to skill development and identifying developmentally appropriate teaching objectives for individuals with ASD, are discussed.