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Using speech entrainment to predict conversational outcomes in autistic adolescents

Award Number: R21DC021708
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/01/2025
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2025

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Using speech entrainment to predict conversational outcomes in autistic adolescents - ABSTRACT Autistic and neurotypical individuals often struggle to engage in successful conversations with one another. Yet there are currently no valid methods for quantifying conversational outcomes for autistic individuals and their conversation partners. Accordingly, it is extremely difficult for clinicians to identify difficulties and establish strategies to increase conversational success. This is particularly detrimental during adolescence, a period of life when conversation plays a markedly pivotal role in establishing friendships and emotional closeness with others. Speech entrainment provides a valid and quantifiable measure of conversational outcomes. Speech entrainment is the tendency for interlocutors to modify their speech behaviors to align with the behaviors of their conversational partner. Key here is the extensive body of theoretical and empirical research documenting a robust relationship between speech entrainment and real-world metrics of conversational success. Speech entrainment has been linked to conversational efficiency and quality, better rapport, and stronger interpersonal relationships. The majority of this research has focused on adults. However, in our previous NIH-funded research, we created and validated a robust methodology for measuring entrainment in neurotypical adolescents and demonstrated its ability to predict tangible metrics of conversational success. Nevertheless, an understanding of entrainment in autistic adolescents is lacking. In our previous work, we demonstrated differences in the entrainment patterns of autistic and neurotypical adults in highly controlled laboratory settings. Pilot data collected for this project from 28 dyads in naturalistic peer-based conversations suggests similar differences in adolescence as well. However, beyond this data, research in this area is virtually nonexistent. Thus, addressing this gap represents the requisite first step towards our ultimate goal—to develop a valid and objective measure of conversational success that can be used to optimize treatment outcomes for autistic adolescents. Here, we propose an investigation focused on gaining a comprehensive understanding of entrainment in autistic adolescents and their communication partners and determining the relationship between entrainment and real-world metrics of conversational success in these individuals.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $170,077 )
2026	2026	UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY	1000 OLD MAIN HL	LOGAN	UT	84322	CACHE	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	3	12/8/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$170,078
2026	2025	UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM	4300 MARTIN LUTHER KING BLVD	HOUSTON	TX	77204	HARRIS	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	11/19/2025	NEW	-$1
														Subtotal = $170,077

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $193,608 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM	4300 MARTIN LUTHER KING BLVD	HOUSTON	TX	77204	HARRIS	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	1	7/23/2025	NEW	-$191,662
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM	4300 MARTIN LUTHER KING BLVD	HOUSTON	TX	77204	HARRIS	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	12/12/2024	NEW	$207,036
2025	2025	UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY	1000 OLD MAIN HL	LOGAN	UT	84322	CACHE	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	002	2	7/23/2025	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$178,234
														Subtotal = $193,608

Grand Total All Awards = $363,685

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Using speech entrainment to predict conversational outcomes in autistic adolescents

Award Number: R21DC021708

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/01/2025

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2025

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