Using the ESB to understand social communication

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterised by differences in social skills communication and behaviour, encompassing a wide range of strengths and challenges. Children with neurodivergence, including those with ASD or language delays, often exhibit a different, or diverse, manner of language development. There really is no “correct” or “incorrect” way for children’s brains to work – but a wide range of ways that children and adults perceive and respond to the world. These differences should be not only understood and accepted, but embraced, as a main goal of the neurodiversity movement is to shine a light on the benefits of this diversity. When we recognise and support children with neurodiverse conditions, we ultimately create a more inclusive environment that fosters their unique strengths.

The Early Sociocognitive Battery (ESB) was developed to identify early indicators of social communication difficulties in children with language delay, on the grounds that children with a “late” diagnosis of ASD are often reported to have had language delay in their early years. Primarily a nonverbal assessment tool suitable for use with children from 2 years to 5 years of age, the ESB is a quick but thorough assessment, typically taking just 15 minutes to administer.

The ESB is a battery of three subtests measuring key social communication difficulties:

• Social Responsiveness: does the child show an interest in other people? This first subtest acts as a warm-up, play-based task that requires minimal response from the child and helps ease them into the testing session.
• Joint Attention: does the child show a shared interest in an object with the adult? This second subtest requires the child to follow the examiner’s gaze.
• Symbolic Comprehension: does the child understand how objects can “stand-in” for other objects when looking at miniatures and following the gestures provided by the examiner? 

Identification of deficiencies in these skills help speech and language therapists and early years practitioners in clinical and education settings identify social communication deficits including autism sooner, with the results offering a basis for referral for further treatment or services.

The ESB offers insights crucial for support and highlights the opportunity we have to mitigate the impact of these challenges in early childhood through appropriate targeted intervention. The earlier support for those with ASD or suspected ASD can be put into place, the better the outcome – and the more we move towards a more inclusive society that supports the diverse needs of our children.