Oren Alona, Dromi Esther, Goldberg Sheila, Mimouni-Bloch Aviva
The Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Unit, Loewenstein Rehabilitation Medical Center, Raanana, Israel.
Constantiner School of Education, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Front Neurol. 2021 Jan 18;11:612314. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2020.612314. eCollection 2020.
Using speech to communicate pragmatic functions is challenging among individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Given the role language plays in developing everyday skills, we traced the unique pragmatic profile of early words, seeking comparison to typically developing (TD) toddlers at similar lexical stages. Twenty-four mother-toddler dyads participated (9 ASD and 15 TD). Dyads were video recorded when toddlers reached a productive lexicon of 40-70 words. These recordings were captured three times during naturalistic interaction and at two consecutive visits with a 2-month interval. Seven thousand three hundred seventy-six productions were analyzed and classified into four communicative intentions (Declaratives, Requests, Objections, and Non-Communicative speech). ASD toddlers were delayed in the emergence of words compared to TD toddlers, with a greater within-group variability (median 28 months, IQR 24.5-35, median 17 months, IQR 17-18, respectively, < 0.001). In both groups, the most common communicative intention was Declarative. However, the percentage of Declaratives was higher among TD toddlers across visits compared to ASD toddlers. In both groups, most productions were directed toward the communicative partner, but ASD toddlers used Non-Communicative speech more often than TD peers. Non-Communicative speech gradually decreased over time. We conclude that while TD toddlers begin to talk with an already-established knowledge of the main communicative functions of words, ASD toddlers seem to have only a partial understanding and gradually improve communicative use as they expand their lexicon. These findings bear theoretical and practical implications for early intervention in ASD. We suggest that communicative profiles are affected by individual characteristics and by the interaction style.
对于患有自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的个体而言，运用言语来传达语用功能具有挑战性。鉴于语言在培养日常技能中所起的作用，我们追踪了早期词汇独特的语用特征，旨在与处于相似词汇阶段的发育正常（TD）幼儿进行比较。24对母婴参与了研究（9对患有ASD，15对发育正常）。当幼儿的产出性词汇量达到40 - 70个单词时，对这些母婴对进行录像。这些录像在自然互动过程中进行了三次拍摄，并在间隔两个月的连续两次访视时进行拍摄。对7376个言语产出进行了分析，并归类为四种交际意图（陈述句、请求、异议和非交际性言语）。与TD幼儿相比，ASD幼儿的词汇出现延迟，且组内变异性更大（中位数分别为28个月，四分位距24.5 - 35；中位数17个月，四分位距17 - 18，P < 0.001）。在两组中，最常见的交际意图都是陈述句。然而，在各次访视中，TD幼儿中陈述句的比例高于ASD幼儿。在两组中，大多数言语产出都是针对交际伙伴的，但ASD幼儿比TD同伴更频繁地使用非交际性言语。非交际性言语随着时间的推移逐渐减少。我们得出结论，虽然TD幼儿开始说话时已经对单词的主要交际功能有既定的认识，但ASD幼儿似乎只有部分理解，并随着词汇量的扩大逐渐改善交际运用。这些发现对ASD的早期干预具有理论和实践意义。我们认为交际特征受个体特征和互动方式的影响。
