Researchers have given the thumbs-up to early intervention therapy involving pointing and gesturing to toys.

A study by the University of California found that when adults engaged the attention of pre-school children with autism by pointing and gesturing to toys it helped to build language skills.

The 40 children who participated in the study were aged eight or nine. Five years earlier all had been diagnosed with ASD and had received either the intensive therapy programme or standard intervention as part of a separate study.

The research, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, found that those children who learned to point or direct an adult’s attention to an object of interest at ages three and four went on to develop more advanced language skills at age eight.

It also found that children who showed greater flexibility in playing with objects at age three or four demonstrated better memory and other cognitive skills at age eight.

Connie Kasari, lead author of the study, said: “Our findings show that therapy focused on such basic skills as pointing, sharing and engaging in play can have considerable long-term effects as children with autism spectrum disorders grow and learn to express themselves with words.”

The study was supported by the US-based National Institutes of Health through the Autism Centers of Excellence Program.

Published: 22 June 2012