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Language patterns of parents of young autistic and normal children

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Abstract

This study examined the language patterns of parents of 10 autistic children and parents of 10 normal children who were matched with the autistic children for language age, sex, and parents' educational level. Syntatic and functional aspects of parental language were assessed during a 20-minute interaction before the parents of the autistic children participated in a behaviorally oriented treatment program. Few significant differences emerged between the language of the parents of the autistic and normal children. The parents of the autistic children used more non-language-oriented language but did not differ from the parents of the normal children in the percentage scores for any language category. Also, although the parents of the autistic children spoke more often, complexity of language, as measured by mean length of utterance, was comparable across the groups. Several differences emerged between mothers' and fathers' language patterns. These results suggest that parents of autistic children provide language environments similar to those experienced by normal children in the initial stages of language development and that mothers and fathers play different roles in their child's language environment.

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Reference note

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 85287, Tempe, Arizona

    Sharlene A. Wolchik

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  1. Sharlene A. Wolchik
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Additional information

This article is based on a portion of a dissertation submitted to Rutgers University in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Ph.D. degree. The author wishes to express her appreciation to Sandra Harris for her assistance throughout all phases of the project, as well as to Jean Burton, Donald Peterson, and John Miller for their helpful comments on earlier drafts. Also, the author thanks Rona Milch, Karen Nemeth, Peggy Van Raalte, Ben Berman, and Bruce Fogas for their careful coding of the data, and LaVaun Habegger for her patient typing. This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH 2928F-04) to Sandra L. Harris.

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Wolchik, S.A. Language patterns of parents of young autistic and normal children. J Autism Dev Disord 13, 167–180 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01531817

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