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The Language Gap: Disparities in Expressive Versus Receptive Language in Young Children With Neurodevelopmental
J L Kinard1, A L Tapia2, D Reinhartsen3
1Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 101 Renee Lynne Ct, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, NC, 27510, USA. jessica_kinard@med.unc.edu.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
|May 27, 2026
Summary
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show distinct language profiles, with expressive dominance (ED) and receptive dominance (RD) being more common than in other developmental delays. These findings aid in understanding ASD and tailoring interventions.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Speech and Language Pathology
Background:
- Language profiles vary among children, influencing developmental trajectories.
- Understanding language dominance in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is crucial for early identification and intervention.
- Existing research highlights diverse language patterns in neurodevelopmental conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and associated factors of three language profiles: expressive dominance (ED), receptive dominance (RD), and non-dominance (ND).
- To compare these language profiles across children with ASD, other developmental delays (DD), and typically developing controls (POP).
- To identify specific developmental and behavioral correlates linked to ED and RD profiles in autistic children.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED), a multi-site case-control study.
- Analyzed a sample of 4905 children aged 2.5 to 5 years.
- Employed multinomial regression models to determine odds ratios and confidence intervals for language dominance factors.
Main Results:
- Non-dominance (ND) was the most common language profile across all groups.
- Expressive dominance (ED) and receptive dominance (RD) profiles were more prevalent in children with ASD compared to DD and POP groups.
- Autistic children showed increased odds of ED with lower developmental levels and more severe ADHD/ASD characteristics, and increased odds of RD with higher developmental levels but limited joint attention or imaginative play.
Conclusions:
- Autistic children exhibit distinct language profiles, with ED and RD occurring more frequently than in other groups.
- Language dominance patterns in ASD differ from those in DD and POP, particularly with age.
- These findings support the need for tailored diagnostic and intervention strategies for language development in ASD.
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