Research suggests that children with autism can benefit from early diagnosis and intervention. But the symptoms of autism can be hard to identify in very young children. Justin Warner reports on a new diagnostic tool. [Story starts at 05:23 in podcast.]
My son Nick is autistic. My wife and I first began noticing something was off when Nick was 18 months old, but our pediatrician said not to worry, he's just developing slowly, let's see where he is in six months.
LENA Foundation Language Research Director Jill Gilkerson, Ph.D., explains how it's possible to identify children at risk for autism by analyzing subtle anomalies in child vocalizations and what this capability means for the future of autism treatment.
A device may be able to automatically screen young children for autism based on how they talk, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
A tool that automatically assesses young children's vocalizations should enable faster and more objective measures of language learning in natural environments than current methods allow.
To a trained ear, a child’s early speech patterns can hint at autism. But as a screening method, detecting speech and voice problems can be difficult, and is not widely used.
Research suggests the babbling of infants with autism differs from that of children without it. The differences were spotted with 86% accuracy using automated vocal analysis technology.
Dr. Dana Suskind, a language researcher and surgeon at the University of Chicago, agreed to record language use in six Chicago-area households where the parents say they frequently check their smartphones.
WHILE waiting for an elevator at the Fair Oaks Mall near her home in
Virginia recently, Janice Im, who works in early-childhood development,
witnessed a troubling incident between a young boy and his mother.
News Archives
Curry Partners with Southwest Virginia
4/1/2010
"You did it!" says Kim Austin from her perch on a toddler-sized chair. Beside her, three-year-old Jake snaps ring-shaped manipulatives one on
top of another, grinning with each success.
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Researchers seek patterns in the sounds of autism
3/15/2010
Scientists have created machines to detect distinctive speech patterns
in children with autism that go unnoticed by the naked ear.
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Infants Do Not Appear To Learn Words From Educational DVDs
3/1/2010
Among 12- to 24-month old children who view educational baby videos, there does not appear to be evidence that overall general language learning improves or that words featured in the programming are learned, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the May print issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
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KU scientist shows potential of technology for autism research and treatment
1/25/2010
For the first time, researchers have measured precisely the impact of autism on several aspects of how children learn language with a new technology that has enormous potential for researchers, practitioners and parents, according to Steven F. Warren, lead author of study published online in the Nov. 11 Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
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Baby-by-Number: Parents' New Obsession With Data
12/14/2009
Allen Fawcett admits he and his wife are mildly addicted to keeping track of their babies’ schedules. The pair of economists have been recording every diaper, feeding and nap since they became parents.
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Screening for autism: New tool looks at child's speech patterns
10/13/2009
Parents can find out sooner -- and in their own homes -- if their children are at risk for autism, says a Boulder-based not-for-profit organization that has created a new screening tool.
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Foundation Helps Detect Autism Earlier
10/11/2009
The numbers are staggering. Two new government studies have found that one out
of every 100 children in the U.S. has some form of autism.
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The Lena Foundation Sent Us Electric Pants
9/28/2009
Aiden recently participated in a study of children with Apraxia done by The Lena Foundation.
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Home Autism Detector Worries Some Doctors
9/22/2009
A new device marketed to parents as an early detection device for autism has specialists debating whether the technology will become a powerful autism screening tool for doctors, or a do-it-yourself recipe for parental anxiety.
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BBC World Service: "The World Today": Autism Detection Software
9/17/2009
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that appears in childhood and results in impaired social and emotional development. For autistic children even the most simple tasks can be traumatic. Early detection can be a factor in how well sufferers are able to deal with their condition. So it will come as some very good news that a U.S.-based company, the LENA Foundation, has developed a device to detect autism by using software to analyze the sound recordings of infants and children.
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Can autism really be detected by voice alone?
9/16/2009
The Lena Foundation, whose new autism-screening tool hit the market in September, claims that parents who use the Lena System are now able to determine with 91 percent accuracy whether their child is developing normally, has autism, or has unassociated language delays.
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A Device to Spot Autism Early
9/15/2009
Researchers have developed a device that can automatically identify autistic
children as young as 24 months using the vocalizations they make during a normal
day at home.
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Language Assessment: New Tool for Pediatric Clinicians
9/10/2009
The clunky, gargantuan tape recorders that speech-language pathologists have
used for decades to collect data are officially obsolete.
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Advancement Made in Automatic Autism Screen Increases Accuracy to 91%, Scheduled for Release This Month
9/2/2009
LENA Foundation has increased the accuracy
of the LENA Autism Screen (LAS) to 91 percent for children 24 to 48 months.
LAS—the first automatic and totally objective autism screen—is now as accurate
or more accurate than other autism screens currently available to parents and
clinicians.
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Bye bye to “Once upon a time?” New study shows talking is better for your kids than bedtime stories
7/6/2009
Engaging your children in a bedside chat may be six times more effective in
helping them learn language than reading a bedtime story, according to a new
study by Dr. Frederick Zimmerman and colleagues from the UCLA School of Public
Health, California.
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ABSTRACT: Teaching by Listening: The Importance of Adult-Child Conversations to Language Development
7/1/2009
OBJECTIVE: To test the independent association of adult language input,
television viewing, and adult-child conversations on language acquisition among
infants and toddlers.
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Conversing helps language development more than reading alone
6/29/2009
UCLA study finds that activities that get children 2 months to 48 months talking
are most conducive to language acquisition
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Talk With Kids, Not At Them
6/29/2009
If you want to help children develop language and speech skills, UCLA
researchers say, listening to what they have to say is just as important as
talking to them.
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UCLA Study: Give Young Children a Chance to Converse
6/29/2009
Words are good. Conversation is better.
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Turn It off Now
6/8/2009
Oh, gee. Who hasn't plunked an infant or toddler down in front of the tube every now and again? (Never mind those of you who don't own a TV. You have other vices, we know that you do.)
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Seattle Children's: Language Use Decreases in Young Children and Caregivers When Television is On, Study Finds
6/1/2009
In a new study, young children and their adult caregivers uttered fewer vocalizations, used fewer words and engaged in fewer conversations when in the presence of audible television.
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Study Shows TV Distracts Babies
6/1/2009
Remember when your parents told you not to watch too much TV. They said it wasn't good for you? Turns out they were on to something.
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LENA Foundation Works on Automatic Autism Screen
5/31/2009
The LENA Foundation (formerly Infoture, Inc.) was started five years ago by Terry and Judi Paul in Boulder, Colorado.
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LENA: Language assessment at home? A new tool for parents and researchers
4/3/2009
There is a new product on the market to assess language for children between the ages of 0-48 months. It is called the LENA (Language Environment Analysis) System.
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Five Studies at International SRCD Meeting in Denver Use Technology from Boulder Foundation
3/31/2009
The not-for-profit LENA Foundation is putting forth a strong presence at the 2009 Biennial Meeting of the Society of Research in Child Development (SRCD). At the event, April 1–4 in Denver, Colorado, four talks and one poster will be presented based on findings obtained with LENA System technology.
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LENA Foundation Revives Popular Online Assessment Tool
3/16/2009
The LENA Developmental Snapshot is back by popular demand, once again offering parents a quick and easy way to find out their child’s developmental age online.
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Study: Want a Smart Baby? TV's Not Going to Help
3/4/2009
(CNN) -- Watching television does not make babies smarter, according to a study released this week in the journal Pediatrics, adding to existing research that challenges the usefulness of baby educational videos and DVDs.
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LENA Foundation Announces New Technology to Measure Effectiveness of Autism Therapy
2/23/2009
The non-proft LENA™ Foundation, which develops technology for the improved treatment of autism and other language disorders, has released two case studies showing how the breakthrough LENA system is being used to improve autism treatment.
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SpeechPathology.com Interview with LENA Foundation Director of Communications Mia Moe
2/23/2009
Linda Schreiber: Today I am happy to interview Mia Moe, the Director of Communications for the LENA Foundation. Mia has been with Infoture, Inc. since 2005, as a member of the product development team and also as Director of Communications.
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LENA Foundation Established with Multimillion Dollar Gift
2/10/2009
Terry and Judi Paul have established the not-for-profit LENA Foundation through a gift of $2 million and a donation of the assets of Infoture, Inc. Owned by the Pauls, Infoture developed the breakthrough LENA System in a $30 million research and development effort completed over the past five years.
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Infoture division LENA LABS announces new LENA Language Assessment
1/6/2009
A division of Infoture, Inc., LENA LABS has launched a new service: the LENATM Language Assessment. Designed with the unique needs of speech language professionals in mind, the new option is an inexpensive entry point to LENA Pro technology, which retails for $6,699. For an introductory offer of only $150 (good through January 31, 2009), the pay-per-use service provides six reports, two assessments, and an audio sample – highly advanced diagnostic tools that professionals can use to boost treatment quality.
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Automatic Measurement of the Language Learning Environment of Young Children with ASD
7/11/2008
Researchers and clinicians know very little about the natural language environment of young children with ASD and how this compares to typically developing children. Professionals working with children at risk for language and developmental disabilities have traditionally been restricted by limitations in measurement technologies.
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ABC's Good Morning America
4/23/2008
Parents worry about everything when it comes to babies: Is the infant sleeping enough, eating enough, growing enough? Here’s another thing to fret about: Do you talk enough to your baby?
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New device that gauges a baby’s language skill
4/11/2008
Last year, Crystal Adams was browsing a Web site on child health when she came across an advertisement inviting parents to participate in a research study testing a new device to measure language development in children.
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Baby-talk show: Do you know how many words your child spoke today?
2/24/2008
The early days of parenthood are filled with anxiety. Parents fret over whether their babies are eating enough, growing enough and sleeping enough. As the children get a little older, parents also worry if they are talking enough.
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Revolutionary Product Is Breakthrough in Early Detection and Treatment of Language Delay
1/10/2008
SpeechPathology.com reports: The world’s largest database of child and adult speech ever collected from within home environments is the foundation of a groundbreaking study and breakthrough intervention product for clinicians and researchers.
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What's a word's worth?
12/27/2007
In an influential study published in 1995, social scientists Betty Hart and Todd Risley recorded everything that went on in 42 households to see why some children fared worse in school than others. One factor especially stood out: the number of words the child heard.
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Can words translate into a bright future for infants?
11/26/2007
You don’t realize how daunting it is to say a certain number of words per day to your child. For Page and her husband Aaron, it’s worth every word.
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Every parent wants to give their child a leg up in life, now it's easier than ever before
11/15/2007
What has been attracting the attention of parents and some experts in child development? Experts say that word acquisition in the early years is crucial. Now, there’s a device that records how verbal your child’s daily experience is. The LENA device has only been available a short time, but it’s attracting the attention of parents and some experts in child development.
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University leaders offer condolences after death of Todd Risley
11/6/2007
Risley, a world-renowned pioneer in applied behavioral science and former professor in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science and senior scientist at the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies for 23 years, died in Palmer, Alaska, on Friday, Nov. 2. He was 70 years old. He was professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Alaska at the time of his death.
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Baby Talk
10/29/2007
30,000 The spoken words a child needs to hear each day until age 3 for the best language development, a study shows.
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News Release: Young children thrive on 30,000 words a day
10/24/2007
The most powerful number is 30,000.
BOULDER, Colo.— For children between birth and age 3, the most powerful number is 30,000. That’s the number of words children need to hear every day from their parents and caregivers to ensure optimal language development and academic success, according to the research of Drs. Betty Hart and Todd Risley and confirmed by Colorado-based Infoture, Inc., and their analysis of over 46,000 hours of speech data – the largest database of parent-child audio information in the world.
The second phase of Infoture’s Natural Language...
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Talk Enough?, ABC News - Los Angeles,
10/2/2007
All kinds of videos and computer programs promise to help prepare your toddler for school. But educators say the best preparation is talk from a parent or caregiver.
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Ability to achieve improves the more words babies hear, Boulder County Business Report,
9/28/2007
Not only are the children who have been talked to achieving more, they’re testing higher. The difference between hearing 33 million words compared with 11 million results in an extra 40 IQ points, according to research.
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Bringing up brainy baby, The Denver Post,
9/12/2007
Littleton - Lisa and Brian Thompson - both professional and college-educated - pay close attention to their 20-month-old son Matthew’s development. So when Infoture Inc., a Boulder- based research company, asked families to test a product that measures how much talking goes on between parents and children from birth to age 3, with the idea that the chattiest families have the most successful kids, the couple signed up.
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If you want baby talk, talk to baby, Colorado biz Magazine,
8/20/2007
You don’t need a research study to conclude that sticking toddlers in front of the TV probably won’t do wonders for their brain development. You might just try talking to them instead. A new study by a Colorado company concludes that the more you talk to your children, the more likely they’ll develop strong language skills.
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News Release: Young children thrive on 30,000 words a day
8/14/2007
New study released to Colorado pediatricians today
BOULDER, Colo.—For children between birth and age 3, the most powerful number is 30,000 – the number of words they need to hear every day from their parents and caregivers, to ensure optimal language development and academic success, according to the Power of Talk research study, released today to healthcare professionals statewide.
Infoture, a Boulder-based company, is receiving...
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Talk to your toddlers - research claims they need to hear 30,000 words a day, North Denver News,
8/14/2007
For children between birth and age 3, the most powerful number is 30,000 -- the number of words they need to hear every day from their parents and caregivers, to ensure optimal language development and academic success, according to the Power of Talk research study, released today to healthcare professionals statewide.
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Baby DVDs may hinder, not help, your kid
8/8/2007
Educational videos designed to stimulate young minds, like “Baby Einstein” and “Brainy Baby,” may actually impede language development, according to a new study published this week in the Journal of Pediatrics. The DVDs have become one of the most popular educational tools for parents, with promises to build the vocabulary and enhance the cognitive development of babies as young as 3 months old. But the claims of these manufacturers are largely unsubstantiated. And the new study says they may do more harm than good.
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Toddler 'word spurts' are guaranteed, USA Today,
8/2/2007
It’s called the "word spurt," that magical time when a toddler’s vocabulary explodes, seemingly overnight. New research offers a decidedly un-magical explanation: Babies start really jabbering after they’ve mastered enough easy words to tackle more of the harder ones. It’s essentially a snowball effect.
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Turn Off TV To Teach Toddlers New Words, Science Daily,
6/29/2007
Study evaluated the ability of children ages 15-24 months to learn new words when the words were presented as part of a "Teletubbies" program as compared to their ability to learn new words from an adult speaker in the same room with them.
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Study on I.Q. Prompts Debate on Family Dynamics, The New York Times,
6/25/2007
The new evidence that eldest children develop higher I.Q.’s than their siblings has intensified the debate over two of the most stubborn questions in social science: What are the family dynamics that enhance intelligence? And can they — and should they — be changed?
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