Predicting Language in Children with ASD Using Spontaneous Language Samples and Standardized Measures

Overview

Journal J Autism Dev Disord

Publisher Springer

Date 2022 Aug 5

PMID 35930209

Authors

Rebecca P Thomas

Kacie Wittke

Jessica Blume

Ann M Mastergeorge

Letitia Naigles

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This longitudinal study examined the degree to which standardized measures of language and natural language samples predicted later language usage in a heterogeneous sample of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and how this relationship is impacted by ASD severity and interventions. Participants with a diagnosis of ASD (N = 54, 41 males) completed standardized assessments of language and social functioning; natural language samples were transcribed from play-based interactions. Findings indicated that standardized language measures, natural language measures, and ADOS severity were each unique predictors of later lexical use. Intervention types also appeared to impact later language; in particular, participation in mainstream inclusion accounted for significant amounts of variance in children's mean length of utterance at T3.

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