Language Impairment and Early Social Competence in Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders: a Comparison of DSM-5 Profiles

Overview

Journal J Autism Dev Disord

Publisher Springer

Date 2014 May 29

PMID 24865586

Citations 16

Authors

T A Bennett

P Szatmari

K Georgiades

S Hanna

M Janus

S Georgiades

E Duku

S Bryson

E Fombonne

I M Smith

P Mirenda

J Volden

C Waddell

W Roberts

T Vaillancourt

L Zwaigenbaum

M Elsabbagh

A Thompson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and structural language impairment (LI) may be at risk of more adverse social-developmental outcomes. We examined trajectories of early social competence (using the Vineland-II) in 330 children aged 2-4 years recently diagnosed with ASD, and compared 3 subgroups classified by: language impairment (ASD/LI); intellectual disability (ASD/ID) and ASD without LI or ID (ASD/alone). Children with ASD/LI were significantly more socially impaired at baseline than the ASD/alone subgroup, and less impaired than those with ASD/ID. Growth in social competence was significantly slower for the ASD/ID group. Many preschool-aged children with ASD/LI at time of diagnosis resembled "late talkers" who appeared to catch up linguistically. Children with ASD/ID were more severely impaired and continued to lag further behind.

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