Examining Phenotypical Heterogeneity in Language Abilities in Chinese-Speaking Children with Autism: A Naturalistic Sampling Approach

Phenotypical heterogeneity in language abilities is a hallmark of autism but remains poorly understood. The present study collected naturalistic language samples from parent–child interactions. We quantified verbal abilities (mean length of utterance, tokens, types) of 50 Chinese-speaking children (M = 5; 6) and stratified subgroups based on their autism traits, IQ, and language abilities. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, four groups were identified. Group 1, the least affected group, had mild autism, the highest IQ, and the strongest verbal abilities. Group 2, the severely affected group, had the lowest IQ, most severe autism symptoms, and weakest verbal abilities. Group 3 and Group 4 displayed average levels of verbal abilities and IQ. These findings may characterize the heterogeneous profiles of verbal abilities in Chinese-speaking children.