Profiles of nonverbal skills used by young pre-verbal children with autism on the ADOS-2: Relation to screening disposition and outcomes

Autistic individuals exhibit differences in their use and understanding of nonverbal communication; however, individual patterns of nonverbal strengths and challenges vary significantly. This heterogeneity can complicate the diagnostic and screening processes and can result in delayed or missed diagnoses. In this study, we characterize various profiles of nonverbal communication skills among 215 pre-verbal children with autism (M_age = 36.27 months, range = 18–70) and explore how these profiles are related to screening outcomes, diagnostic certainty, and developmental and behavioral features. We conducted a latent class analysis of nine items assessing nonverbal communication skills from the Toddler Module and Module 1 of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd Edition. Five nonverbal profiles were identified that differentiated children based on the form, function, and frequency of their nonverbal communication skills. Furthermore, screening outcomes and clinician certainty in autism diagnosis varied by nonverbal profile. False negative screening outcomes based on parent report were highest for children who used a range of nonverbal skills but with limited frequency or consistency. Clinicians, on the other hand, tended to have high certainty in an autism diagnosis for children with this profile, and instead rated their lowest certainty in diagnosing children who demonstrated consistent integration of eye contact with their nonverbal communication. The profiles identified in this study could be clinically useful in helping to identify children at highest likelihood of being overlooked during the screening or diagnostic processes, providing an opportunity to improve early identification and intervention for autism.