C-Command in the Grammars of Children with High Functioning Autism

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Developmental Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Previous research questioned if children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) can compute c-command, a hierarchical structural relationship in language.
• This uncertainty stemmed from observations about their adherence to linguistic constraints like Principle A, involving reflexive pronouns.
• It was hypothesized that children with ASD might instead use linear strategies for language processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the status of c-command in children with ASD.
• To determine if children with ASD can differentiate between c-command and linear strategies in sentence interpretation.
• To assess if knowledge of c-command and Principle A is intact in children with High-Functioning Autism (HFA).

Main Methods:

• The study tested the interpretation of sentences designed to distinguish c-command from linear reference assignment in 12 Australian children with HFA and 12 typically-developing controls.
• Participants' comprehension of sentences involving negation and disjunction, where c-command dictates a conjunctive entailment, was evaluated.
• Performance on sentences governed by Principle A was also assessed.

Main Results:

• No significant difference was found in the interpretation patterns between children with HFA and control children for sentences testing c-command.
• Children with HFA and controls responded similarly to sentences governed by Principle A.
• The findings indicate that children with HFA can process hierarchical structures in language.

Conclusions:

• Knowledge of c-command appears to be intact in children with HFA.
• The study provides preliminary support that children with HFA possess the capacity for complex linguistic computations.
• These findings challenge the notion that children with ASD rely solely on linear strategies for language processing.