In this research project, Prof. David Williams uses a novel task to examine differences in the recognition of non-word language between individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Specific Language Disorder (SLI). The findings have important implications for research and educators.
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About
Although a structural language deficit is not a core characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), over 50% of individuals with ASD present clinical language impairments. Therefore, research has frequently compared ASD to another developmental disorder, namely specific language disorder (SLI). Currently, ASD and SLI are mutually exclusive diagnoses, although some research suggests that there is overlap between the two disorders
More specifically, both language-impaired individuals with ASD and individuals with SLI perform poorly on tests such as non-word repetition. In a non-word repetition test, the participant listens to non-words spoken by the tester and repeats each immediately after hearing it. It remains unknown whether the underlying causes of these language deficits may be different in each disorder.
The current study employs a novel task looking at specific performance patterns during non-word repetition to examine whether the underlying causes are different or similar.
Research Objectives
• To assess whether language-impaired children with ASD show a similar profile of non-word repetition performance to that shown by individuals with SLI.
• To investigate whether non-word repetition impairments in ASD and in SLI have the same or different underlying causes.
Programme and Methodology
• Participants were language-impaired children with ASD, children with SLI and typically developing (TD) children. One group of TD children was matched for chronological age, and one group for verbal mental age.
• All children complete a novel non-word repetition task, in which stimuli were manipulated systematically for three factors that have previously been shown to reveal differences in repetition accuracy between children with SLI and TD children.
Findings
• Compared to language-impaired participants with ASD, participants with SLI performed significantly less well overall.
• Compared to language-impaired participants with ASD, participants with SLI showed qualitatively different patterns of performance.
• Compared to TD children matched for verbal mental age, language-impaired participants with ASD performed similar.
Impact
• This project offered new and important insight on the underlying causes of non-word repetition deficits in children with autism and children with specific language impairment.
• The findings demonstrate that the underlying cognitive causes of non-word repetition deficits are different in each disorder. Children with ASD also show no more of a deficit than would be expected on the basis of their developmental language level.
• This project offers practical implications for educators
• Language-impaired children with ASD and children with SLI will need different types of support with their language development.