Naturalistic language sampling to characterize the language abilities of 3-year-olds with autism spectrum disorder

Factors contributing to this lack of clarity include conflicting definitions of language abilities, use of non-naturalistic standardized assessments, and restricted samples.

The current study examined one of the largest datasets of naturalistic language samples in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder, and language delay and typically developing contrast groups at age 3. A range of indices including length of phrase, grammatical markings, and social use of language was assayed during a naturalistic observation of a parent–child play session. In contrast to historical estimates, results indicated only 3.7% of children with autism spectrum disorder used no words, and 34% were minimally verbal.