What is babbling in Autism

At the age of about four months the baby starts babbling and producing different sounds. Between six and ten months, babies start to produce simple syllables (a consonant + a vowel) in a repetitive way, for example, ‘ba-ba-ba-ba-ba’. After vocalization, reduplicated babbling is the most important milestone in the first year of life (Iverson et al. 2007), and later two syllables babbling develops. It is difficult to establish the purpose of babbling and its connection to word structure. It has been suggested that babbling reflects the biological maturation of the central nervous system as it doesn’t seem to depend on external reinforcement – deaf children babble at the same age as hearing children.

Interestingly, the amount of babbling doesn’t distinguish the autistic and typically developing infants. However, in autism solitary babbling is more prolonged than in typical development, as opposed to interactive babbling which is less frequent. It appears that these two kinds of babbling have different developmental functions: the function of solitary babbling is to explore sensorial variations, whereas during interactive babbling babies are taking part in a conversation with a social partner.

Babbling increases progressively both in autistic and typically developing infants. However, at 12-18 months 2-syllable babbling is less likely to be accompanied by face-gazing in toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as opposed to the babbling pattern with face-gazing in typically developing children. After the first birthday, the delay in first words distinguishes toddlers with ASD from their typically developing peers.

If you spot any of warning signs, you should take your child to be evaluated by a professional, who can guide you regarding the next step. Autism is a temporary phase in the life of a child, which can be treated with the combination ofAyurveda and psychotherapy. We at N D Care Nirogam offer treatment for managing autism symptoms. If you or someone you know is living with autism, consider incorporating with best doctor for the treatment of Autism Dr. Navdeep Sharma ji for your treatment plan.