Communication behaviors in autism and developmental language delay.

The communicative behavior of autistic and developmental language delay (DLD) children matched for nonverbal mental age and mean length of utterance (MLU) was compared to that of normally-developing (ND) 2-yr-olds. Autistic children were less able than other children to respond correctly to language or gestures used to direct their attention, used attention directing (pointing, showing) less frequently, and produced more echolalic speech when making requests. DLD and ND children differed only in number of pronouns used while requesting. Attention-directing gestures were associated with receptive and expressive language abilities for autistic, DLD and normal children.

[1]  A. Wetherby,et al.  Ontogeny of communicative functions in autism , 1986, Journal of autism and developmental disorders.

[2]  D. W. Goodwin.  Alcoholism and genetics. The sins of the fathers. , 1985, Archives of general psychiatry.

[3]  P. Mundy,et al.  Defining the social deficits of autism: the contribution of non-verbal communication measures. , 1986, Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines.

[4]  F. Curcio.  Sensorimotor functioning and communication in mute autistic children , 1978, Journal of autism and childhood schizophrenia.

[5]  K A Loveland,et al.  Learning about points of view: spatial perspective and the acquisition of ‘I/you’ , 1984, Journal of Child Language.

[6]  A. Wetherby,et al.  Profiles of communicative and cognitive-social abilities in autistic children. , 1984, Journal of speech and hearing research.

[7]  K. Loveland,et al.  Joint attention and language in autism and developmental language delay , 1986, Journal of autism and developmental disorders.

[8]  P. Mundy,et al.  Social interactions of autistic, mentally retarded and normal children and their caregivers. , 1986, Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines.

[9]  M. Rutter,et al.  A comparative study of infantile autism and specific development receptive language disorder. I. The children. , 1975, The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science.

[10]  S. Baron-Cohen,et al.  Does the autistic child have a “theory of mind” ? , 1985, Cognition.

[11]  J. Bruner.  From communication to language—a psychological perspective , 1975, Cognition.

[12]  L. Wing,et al.  Language, communication, and the use of symbols in normal and autistic children , 1975, Journal of autism and childhood schizophrenia.

[13]  A comparative study of infantile autism and specific developmental receptive language disorder--IV. Analysis of syntax and language function. , 1978, Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines.

[14]  Barry M. Prizant,et al.  Language Acquisition and Communicative Behavior in Autism , 1983 .

[15]  M. Rutter,et al.  The use of personal pronouns by autistic children , 1974, Journal of autism and childhood schizophrenia.

[16]  B. Prizant,et al.  Analysis of functions of delayed echolalia in autistic children. , 1984, Journal of speech and hearing research.

[17]  M. A. Cunningham.  A comparison of the language of psychotic and non-psychotic children who are mentally retarded. , 1968, Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines.

[18]  J. Olley,et al.  Social Aspects of Communication in Children with Autism , 1985 .

[19]  L. Adamson,et al.  Coordinating attention to people and objects in mother-infant and peer-infant interaction. , 1984, Child development.

[20]  B. Prizant,et al.  The functions of immediate echolalia in autistic children. , 1981, The Journal of speech and hearing disorders.

[21]  The communicative function of question production in autistic children , 1982, Journal of autism and developmental disorders.