Social Communication and Structural Language of Girls With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

Purpose The purpose of this study was to characterize social communication and structural language of school-age girls with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HF-ASD) compared to a matched group of girls who are typically developing (TD). Method Participants were 37 girls between 7;5 and 15;2 (years;months)—18 HF-ASD and 19 TD. Children completed the Test of Pragmatic Language–Second Edition (TOPL-2) and Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals–Fifth Edition. Parents completed the Children's Communication Checklist–2 United States Edition (CCC-2) and Receptive and Expressive Communication subdomains of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales–Second Edition. Results In the area of social communication, girls with HF-ASD earned significantly lower scores and were more often classified as having an impairment on the TOPL-2 and the CCC-2. However, 28% and 33% earned average scores on the TOPL-2 and the CCC-2, respectively. In the area of structural language, no significant differences were found between groups on Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals–Fifth Edition indexes. In contrast, girls with HF-ASD earned significantly lower scores and were more often classified as having an impairment on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales–Second Edition. Sixty-one percent and 83% scored below average on the Receptive and Expressive Communication subdomains, respectively. Conclusions It has been argued that girls with HF-ASD, when compared to boys with HF-ASD, may have advantages for social communication and structural language that mask their impairments. However, when compared to girls who are TD, girls with HF-ASD demonstrated impaired social communication and structural language. Clinicians should include and carefully examine multiple sources of information when assessing girls with HF-ASD.

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Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales: II Profile of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders ◽

10.1007/s10803-015-2543-1 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 46 (1) ◽

pp. 64-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Sabrina Yang ◽

Jessica M. Paynter ◽

Linda Gilmore

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Young Children ◽

Adaptive Behavior ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales ◽

Young Children With Autism ◽

Vineland Adaptive Behavior

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‘Just trying to talk to people … It’s the hardest’: Perspectives of adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder on their social communication skills

Child Language Teaching and Therapy ◽

10.1177/0265659018806754 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 319-334 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Rachel Kelly ◽

Mary-Pat O’Malley ◽

Stanislava Antonijevic

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Communication Skills ◽

Social Communication ◽

High Functioning Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Typically Developing ◽

High Functioning ◽

Social Communication Skills ◽

Increased Risk

Difficulty with social communication is the most pervasive difficulty experienced by individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HF-ASD). Communication difficulties are often magnified in adolescence as social demands become more intricate. This puts adolescents with HF-ASD at increased risk of social isolation and depression, as they have difficulty developing positive social identity. Yet, there is a dearth of literature addressing the communication issues of this population and even fewer studies including the voice of adolescents with HF-ASD themselves. This study aimed to (1) explore the perspectives of adolescents with HF-ASD as to their social communication skills, (2) explore what (if any) difficulties they perceive themselves as having when talking with their peers, (3) explore if they would like help with social communication skills and (4) determine what kind of help they think may be useful to them and establish if they already use self-initiated strategies. This study was qualitative in nature, using thematic analysis to analyse data collected from 10 semi-structured interviews with 5 adolescents with HF-ASD. Qualitative research underpins the idea that one must understand the significance and explanation that people give to situations, experiences, their own actions and to the actions of others, for one to comprehend human behaviours and actions. A qualitative design allowed us to gain the most in depth insight into how adolescents with HF-ASD understand and perceive their experiences. Three themes emerged revealing the participants’ perceptions of their difficulties communicating, challenging feelings that they experience about communication, and their perspectives about the support for developing communication skills. The participants indicated a need for support to aid their desire to improve communication skills and interactions with typically developing peers. In educational settings, adolescents with HF-ASD may benefit from a peer mentor system to give them opportunities to practice social communication skills with typically developing peers and to encourage inclusion amongst their classmates.

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