Early parental guidance of gaze behaviour and sleep for toddlers with prodromal ASD

Early identification of risk for developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is important to start interventive support as early as possible in toddlers' development. This study is a part of the ongoing Gaze@Toddler -project, in which 16 to18 months-old toddlers are screened for elevated risk of ASD. The parents of the toddlers with clear difficulties in gaze behaviour will be offered a brief, gaze guidance program to support their child. We will investigate whether the program improves toddlers' gaze behaviour and positively affects their social engagement and development of self-regulation. We will also study the effects of providing parents with guidance about their toddlers' sleep, as problems in this area are very common in toddlers with developmental challenges, and sleep plays a crucial role in favourable development. It is hoped that results will inform about ways to support parents at the stage when developmental concerns arise.