Language Profiles in Children with Autism

The profile of language abilities in autism was examined by giving a number of standardized language assessments to a group of 1 20 children with autism. These assessments included measures of comprehension and of production of both vocabulary and grammar. Contrary to initial predictions, the group performed at a similar level across the range of tests, showing a relatively uniform profile of language attainment. In addition, there was no evidence of different language profiles in any diagnostic subgroup of children, such as children diagnosed as having Asperger syndrome. The theoretical implications of these findings, and their practical implications for research methodology, are discussed.