Jonathan Panganiban

Jonathan’s recent work aims to improve early intervention decisions for minimally verbal autistic children by identifying the skills that best predict early progress. In a study of 194 school-aged children with limited speech, his team found that those who began with stronger core abilities (such as initiating joint attention and engaging in more advanced and varied play) were more likely to respond quickly to therapy. Over the first six weeks, the children making the fastest progress were improving in their ability to request help and follow an adult’s cues to look or pay attention. These early behavioral changes reliably signaled meaningful improvement. Overall, the study shows that specific social and play skills (not just general cognitive or language scores) can help clinicians anticipate who will benefit most quickly and guide how interventions should be adapted.