Speech and language profiles in 4- to 6-year-old children with early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder without intellectual disability

Kjellmer, L., Fernell, E., Gillberg, C. and Norrelgen, F. (2018) Speech and language profiles in 4- to 6-year-old children with early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder without intellectual disability. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 14, pp. 2415-2427. (doi: 10.2147/NDT.S171971) (PMID:30275695) (PMCID:PMC6157542)

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to present speech and language data from a community-representative group of 4- to 6-year-old children with early-diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability (ID). Methods: The study group comprised 83 children 4–6 years of age with ASD without ID. They had been diagnosed with ASD before age 4.5 years and had received intervention at a specialized habilitation center. At 2-year follow-up, their language abilities were evaluated comprehensively by two speech–language pathologists using a battery of assessments. Receptive and expressive language and phonology were examined. The phonology evaluation included measures of phonological speech production and of phonological processing. Results: Results revealed that almost 60% had moderate–severe language problems. Nearly half exhibited combined expressive and receptive language problems, of which a majority also had phonology problems. Phonological speech problems were found in 21% of the total group. Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of considering speech/language disorders in children with ASD without ID, since they usually attend mainstream classes but need specific educational adaptations.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Gillberg, Professor Christopher
• Authors: Kjellmer, L., Fernell, E., Gillberg, C., and Norrelgen, F.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Journal Name: Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
• Publisher: DovePress
• ISSN: 1176-6328
• ISSN (Online): 1178-2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2018 Kjellmer et al.
• First Published: First published in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 14:2415-2427
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License