Filled Pause Use in Autistic Adults and Their First-Degree Relatives: Gender Differences and Within-Family...

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Psychology
• Genetics

Background:

• Filled pauses (e.g., 'um', 'uh') are recognized markers of pragmatic language.
• Pragmatic language abilities show familial patterns in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• The familial nature of filled pause variation in autistic adults and potential gender differences remain under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate filled pause production in autistic adults and their parents.
• To explore the relationship between filled pause use, autism traits, and the broad autism phenotype (BAP).
• To determine if filled pause variation is familial and linked to genetic liability for autism.

Main Methods:

• Collected monologic language samples from autistic adults (33 males, 10 females) and their parents (15 fathers, 40 mothers).
• Transcribed and analyzed language samples for filled pauses, calculating 'um' rate, 'uh' rate, and 'um' ratio.
• Examined associations between filled pause metrics, autism traits, and BAP features.

Main Results:

• Autistic adult males and fathers exhibited higher 'uh' rates and lower 'um' ratios compared to females and mothers, respectively.
• In autistic adults, increased autism traits correlated with lower 'um' ratios and higher 'uh' rates.
• Filled pause use in autistic adults showed associations with maternal filled pause use and paternal BAP features.

Conclusions:

• The 'um' ratio may serve as a pragmatic marker associated with core autism features.
• Differential patterns in filled pauses between autistic individuals and their parents suggest a potential familial component.
• Filled pauses warrant further investigation as potential markers for genetic liability in autism.