Autism, Literal Language and Concrete Thinking: Some Developmental Considerations

The author's aim in this article is to dwell on some developmental considerations that are relevant for explaining abnormalities in the language of individuals with autism and Asperger's syndrome. We face a major challenge in achieving an appropriate level of focus as we move between a perspective on the development of specifically linguistic functioning among children with autism, and concern with broader atypicalities in these individuals' social–relational and communicative engagement. This challenge is illustrated by the need to clarify what we mean when we refer to “literal language” and “concrete thinking” among persons with autism.