ASD CHARACTERISTICS: LIST OF COMMUNICATION DEFICITS

All people with autism spectrum disorders experience language and communication difficulties, although there are considerable differences in language ability among individuals. Some individuals are nonverbal while others have an extensive language with deficits in the social use of language. People with autism spectrum disorders may seem caught up in a private world in which communication is unimportant. This is not an intentional action but rather an inability to communicate. CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES Difficulties with nonverbal communication – inappropriate facial expressions – unusual use of gestures – lack of eye contact – strange body postures – lack of mutual or shared focus of attention Delay in or lack of expressive language skills Significant differences in oral language, for those who do develop language – odd pitch or intonation – a faster or slower rate of speech than normal – unusual rhythm or stress – monotone or lilting voice quality A tendency to use language to have needs met, rather than social purposes Repetitive and idiosyncratic speech patterns “The student may be using echolalic utterances to rehearse what is heard in order to process the information, or as a strategy for self-regulation.” Prizant and Duchan, 1981 Echolalic speech, immediate or delayed literal repetition of the speech of others – appears to be non-meaningful, but may indicate an attempt to communicate – indicates the ability to produce speech and imitate – may serve a communication or cognitive purpose for the student Restricted vocabulary – dominated by nouns – often confined to requests or rejections to regulate one’s physical environment – limited in social functions A tendency to perseverate on a topic —that is, to continually discuss one topic and have difficulty changing topics Difficulty with the pragmatics of conversation – problems initiating communication – difficulty using unwritten rules – inability to maintain a conversation on a topic – inappropriate interrupting – inflexibility in the style of conversation, stereotypic style of speaking People with autism spectrum disorders often have difficulty comprehending verbal information, following long verbal instructions and remembering a sequence of instructions. The comprehension of language may be context-specific. The extent of difficulty varies among individuals, but even those who have normal intelligence, usually referred to as high-functioning, may have difficulty comprehending verbal information.