Fig. 1

Meta-analysis of language scores in high-risk siblings without ASD. Forest plots display the results of the meta-analysis examining differences in receptive and expressive language scores between low-risk siblings without ASD (LR-noASD) and high-risk siblings without ASD (HR-noASD). Circle sizes illustrate each study’s weighted impact when including IBIS data, with values for weights and effect sizes listed on the right. Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals (CI). Summary weighted effect sizes for published studies only, indicated as “Overall (literature only),” are shown as a light gray diamond; the dark gray diamonds show the result including IBIS data. Numbers of subjects in HR-noASD (HR) and LR-noASD (LR) groups are adjacent to these diamond markers. Both summary effect sizes indicate that receptive and expressive language scores are significantly lower in HR-noASD siblings. The effect size is moderate for receptive language and small for expressive language