View in EDS PDF Full Text

The Influence of Language and Cognition on Intervention Effects in Young Autistic Children: A Meta-Regression Analysis.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: The Influence of Language and Cognition on Intervention Effects in Young Autistic Children: A Meta-Regression Analysis.
Authors: Sandbank, Micheal1 micheal_sandbank@med.unc.edu, Bottema-Beutel, Kristen2, LaPoint, Shannon Crowley3, Feldman, Jacob I.4, Woynaroskie, Tiffany5,6,7,8,9,10
Source: Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research. May2026, Vol. 69 Issue 5, p2112-2127. 16p.
Subject Terms: *Language & languages, *Psychological adaptation, *Communication, *Child development, *Asperger's syndrome, *Cognition, *Children, Treatment of autism, Research funding, Secondary analysis, Treatment effectiveness, Age distribution, Social skills, Regression analysis
Abstract: Background: Young autistic children have a range of language and cognitive abilities and, as a result, may differentially benefit from interventions supporting skills in these and related domains. Although studies have previously examined the extent to which participant characteristics interact with intervention effects, they have primarily restricted the analyses to a single intervention approach. Method: In the present study, we drew on data from a comprehensive metaanalysis of group design, nonpharmacological intervention studies for young autistic children to test these effects. Specifically, we conducted a secondary meta-regression analysis to examine whether cognitive and language standard scores and age equivalents at study entry significantly moderated intervention effects across intervention type on adaptive, cognitive, language, and social communication outcomes and separately across outcome type for behavioral, developmental, naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions and technologybased interventions. Cognitive and language ability was quantified using reported or estimated standard scores, and cognitive and language level was quantified using reported or estimated age-equivalent scores. Analyses within outcome type were conducted using a data set of 1,911 effect sizes from 202 independent samples, and analyses within intervention type were conducted using a data set of 2,137 effect sizes from 144 independent samples. Results: Few studies reported standard scores and/or age equivalents for participant language. None of the putative moderators significantly predicted intervention effects by outcome domain (i.e., adaptive, cognitive, language, and social communication). Both cognitive standard and age-equivalent scores positively and significantly predicted effects of technology-based interventions exclusively, but we did not find robust evidence that language standard or age-equivalent scores significantly predicted effects by intervention type. Conclusions: These findings are exploratory and warrant cautious interpretation. Future intervention researchers should extensively characterize participant samples in terms of their language and cognitive ability to aid meta-analytic investigation. The field would benefit from additional high-quality randomized controlled trials testing whether intervention effects vary by participant characteristics, using preplanned moderator analyses, valid measures, and large representative samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: ehh
DbLabel: Education Research Complete
An: 193696207
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: The Influence of Language and Cognition on Intervention Effects in Young Autistic Children: A Meta-Regression Analysis.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sandbank%2C+Micheal%22">Sandbank, Micheal</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> micheal_sandbank@med.unc.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bottema-Beutel%2C+Kristen%22">Bottema-Beutel, Kristen</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22LaPoint%2C+Shannon+Crowley%22">LaPoint, Shannon Crowley</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Feldman%2C+Jacob+I%2E%22">Feldman, Jacob I.</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Woynaroskie%2C+Tiffany%22">Woynaroskie, Tiffany</searchLink><relatesTo>5,6,7,8,9,10</relatesTo>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Speech%2C+Language+%26+Hearing+Research%22">Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research</searchLink>. May2026, Vol. 69 Issue 5, p2112-2127. 16p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subject Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+%26+languages%22">Language & languages</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+adaptation%22">Psychological adaptation</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communication%22">Communication</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+development%22">Child development</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Asperger's+syndrome%22">Asperger's syndrome</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognition%22">Cognition</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children%22">Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Treatment+of+autism%22">Treatment of autism</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+analysis%22">Secondary analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Treatment+effectiveness%22">Treatment effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Age+distribution%22">Age distribution</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+skills%22">Social skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Regression+analysis%22">Regression analysis</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: Young autistic children have a range of language and cognitive abilities and, as a result, may differentially benefit from interventions supporting skills in these and related domains. Although studies have previously examined the extent to which participant characteristics interact with intervention effects, they have primarily restricted the analyses to a single intervention approach. Method: In the present study, we drew on data from a comprehensive metaanalysis of group design, nonpharmacological intervention studies for young autistic children to test these effects. Specifically, we conducted a secondary meta-regression analysis to examine whether cognitive and language standard scores and age equivalents at study entry significantly moderated intervention effects across intervention type on adaptive, cognitive, language, and social communication outcomes and separately across outcome type for behavioral, developmental, naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions and technologybased interventions. Cognitive and language ability was quantified using reported or estimated standard scores, and cognitive and language level was quantified using reported or estimated age-equivalent scores. Analyses within outcome type were conducted using a data set of 1,911 effect sizes from 202 independent samples, and analyses within intervention type were conducted using a data set of 2,137 effect sizes from 144 independent samples. Results: Few studies reported standard scores and/or age equivalents for participant language. None of the putative moderators significantly predicted intervention effects by outcome domain (i.e., adaptive, cognitive, language, and social communication). Both cognitive standard and age-equivalent scores positively and significantly predicted effects of technology-based interventions exclusively, but we did not find robust evidence that language standard or age-equivalent scores significantly predicted effects by intervention type. Conclusions: These findings are exploratory and warrant cautious interpretation. Future intervention researchers should extensively characterize participant samples in terms of their language and cognitive ability to aid meta-analytic investigation. The field would benefit from additional high-quality randomized controlled trials testing whether intervention effects vary by participant characteristics, using preplanned moderator analyses, valid measures, and large representative samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=193696207
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1044/2026_JSLHR-24-00391
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 16
        StartPage: 2112
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Language & languages
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological adaptation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Communication
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Child development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Asperger's syndrome
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cognition
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Treatment of autism
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research funding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Secondary analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Treatment effectiveness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Age distribution
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Regression analysis
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: The Influence of Language and Cognition on Intervention Effects in Young Autistic Children: A Meta-Regression Analysis.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Sandbank, Micheal
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Bottema-Beutel, Kristen
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: LaPoint, Shannon Crowley
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Feldman, Jacob I.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Woynaroskie, Tiffany
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Text: May2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 10924388
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 69
            – Type: issue
              Value: 5
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research
              Type: main
ResultId 1