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. 2009 Nov;45(6):1774-86.
doi: 10.1037/a0016223.

Word learning in children with autism spectrum disorders

Rhiannon Luyster  1 , Catherine Lord
Affiliations

Word learning in children with autism spectrum disorders

Rhiannon Luyster et al. Dev Psychol. 2009 Nov.

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been gaining attention, partly as an example of unusual developmental trajectories related to early neurobiological differences. The present investigation addressed the process of learning new words to explore mechanisms of language delay and impairment. The sample included 21 typically developing toddlers matched on expressive vocabulary with 21 young children with ASD. Two tasks were administered to teach children a new word and were supplemented by cognitive and diagnostic measures. In most analyses, there were no group differences in performance. Children with ASD did not consistently make mapping errors, even in word learning situations that required the use of social information. These findings indicate that some children with ASD, in developmentally appropriate tasks, are able to use information from social interactions to guide word-object mappings. This result has important implications for understanding of how children with ASD learn language.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Selection of child's own toy in Pragmatics Task, by diagnostic group and condition
Note: Solid horizontal line indicates chance level. * significantly different than chance, p<.05 ** significantly different than chance, p<.01
Figure 2
Figure 2. Selection of examiner's toy in Pragmatics Task, by diagnostic group and condition
Note: Solid horizontal line indicates chance level. * significantly different than chance, p<.05
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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