COMMUNICATION
A Look at the Various
Communication Disorders
of Autism
By Elizabeth “Betsey” Ives FIELD, MEd, CCC-SLP
A key feature in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is persistent deficits
in communication that are independent of other developmental delays. This means
that for a child to be diagnosed with autism, his/her speech and language skills must
be different from typical development, not merely delayed and like those of a younger
child.
C
ertainly, children with autism often do
have delayed speech and language skills
secondary to cognitive limitations, but
these delays alone do not support an au-
tism diagnosis. And, of course, it is possible
to have autism in addition to deafness, ce-
rebral palsy, or other disabilities that result
20 | Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 87
in communication problems. Children on the au-
tism spectrum have a wide range of communication
skills. Some are nonverbal, with varying degrees of
language comprehension. Others echo language,
with differing amounts of more conventional com-
munication in the mix. Some are highly verbal but
literal and have unusual patterns of conversation.