Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Sign language and motor functioning in students with autistic disorder

B C Seal1, J D Bonvillian

  • 1Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807, USA.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
|August 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary

This study analyzed sign language production in autistic students, finding location accuracy was higher than handshape or movement. Sign vocabulary and accuracy correlated with motor skills and apraxia measures.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Hand preferences in sign-learning students with autistic disorder.

Laterality·2004
Same author

Speech-language pathologists in schools for the deaf. A survey of scope of practice, service delivery, caseload, and program features.

American annals of the deaf·1998
Same author

Young children's acquisition of the movement aspect in American Sign Language: parental report findings.

Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHR·1998
Same author

Homonymy in the lexicons of young children acquiring American Sign Language.

Journal of psycholinguistic research·1998
Same author

Early sign language acquisition and the development of hand preference in young children.

Brain and language·1997
Same author

Word recall in deaf students: the effects of different coding strategies.

Perceptual and motor skills·1996

Area of Science:

  • Linguistics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Special Education

Background:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) impacts communication skills.
  • Sign language is a vital communication tool for some autistic individuals.
  • Understanding sign production challenges in low-functioning autistic students is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the sign language production abilities of low-functioning autistic students.
  • To identify specific areas of difficulty (location, handshape, movement) in sign production.
  • To explore correlations between sign production, motor skills, and apraxia.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of videotaped sign language interactions between 14 autistic students and their teachers.
  • Assessment of sign production frequency and accuracy for sign location, handshape, and movement.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Evaluation of students' sign vocabulary size, motor functioning, and apraxia measures.

    • Main Results:

    • Sign location was produced more accurately than handshape or movement.
    • Significant individual differences observed in sign production quantity, accuracy, and motor skills.
    • Strong correlations found between sign vocabulary size, sign accuracy, apraxia measures, and fine motor age.

    Conclusions:

    • Autistic students' sign production varies, with location being a relatively stronger aspect.
    • Motor skills and apraxia significantly influence sign language acquisition and accuracy in this population.
    • Further research should explore targeted interventions to improve sign production in autistic learners.