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Communication behaviors in autism and developmental language delay.
1Department of Preventive Medicine & Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77550.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines
|September 1, 1988
Summary
Autistic children and those with developmental language delay (DLD) show distinct communication challenges compared to typically developing peers. These differences highlight specific areas for targeted language and social interaction support.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Understanding the nuances of communicative behavior in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental language delay (DLD) is crucial for effective intervention.
- Previous research indicates potential differences in social communication skills among these groups, but direct comparisons with matched typically developing children require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the communicative behaviors of autistic children and children with DLD to normally developing (ND) 2-year-olds.
- To investigate differences in response to attention-directing language/gestures, frequency of attention-directing behaviors, and request-making speech patterns.
- To examine the relationship between attention-directing gestures and language abilities across all groups.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving autistic children, children with DLD, and normally developing (ND) children.
- Participants were matched for nonverbal mental age and mean length of utterance (MLU).
- Communicative behaviors, including responses to attention cues, use of attention-directing gestures (e.g., pointing, showing), and speech during requests, were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Autistic children demonstrated reduced ability to respond to language/gestures directing attention and used fewer attention-directing behaviors.
- Autistic children produced more echolalic speech when making requests compared to DLD and ND children.
- DLD and ND children differed significantly only in the number of pronouns used during requests; attention-directing gestures correlated with language abilities in all groups.
Conclusions:
- Autistic children exhibit specific pragmatic communication deficits, including difficulties with joint attention and increased echolalia during requests.
- Children with DLD show fewer pragmatic differences compared to autistic children when matched on developmental level, with pronoun usage being a key differentiator.
- Attention-directing gestures are a significant indicator of language development across autistic, DLD, and normally developing children, underscoring their importance in early communication.