Abstract：
BACKGROUND: Within cohorts of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) there is considerable variation in terms of language ability. In the past, it was believed that children with ASD either had delayed articulation and phonology skills or excelled in those areas compared to other language domains. Very little is known about speech sound ability in relation to language ability and non-verbal ability in Swedish preschool children with ASD.
OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to describe language variation in a group of 4-6-year-old children with ASD, focusing on in-depth analyses of speech sound error patterns with and without non-phonological language disorder and concomitant non-verbal delays.
METHODS: We examined and analysed the speech sound skills (including consonant inventory, percentage of correct consonants and speech sound error patterns) in relation to receptive language skills in a sample of preschool children who had screened positive for ASD in a population-based screening at 2.5 years of age. Seventy-three children diagnosed with ASD participated and were divided into subgroups based on their receptive language (i.e., non-phonological language) and non-verbal abilities.
RESULTS: The subgroup division revealed that 29 children (40%) had language delay/disorder without concurrent non-verbal general cognitive delay (ALD), 27 children (37%) had language delay/disorder with non-verbal general cognitive delay (AGD), and 17 children (23%) had language and non-verbal abilities within the normal range (ALN). Results revealed that children with ALD and children with AGD both had atypical speech sound error patterns significantly more often than the children with ALN.
CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that many children who had screened positive for ASD before age 3 years - with or without non-verbal general cognitive delays - had deficits in language as well as in speech sound ability. However, individual differences were considerable. Our results point to speech sound error patterns as a potential clinical marker for language problems (disorder/delay) in preschool children with ASD.
CONCLUSIONS: What is already known on the subject Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have deficits in social communication, restricted interests and repetitive behaviour. They show very considerable variation in both receptive and expressive language abilities. Previously, articulation and phonology were viewed as either delayed in children with ASD or superior compared with other (non-phonological) language domains. What this paper adds to existing knowledge Children with ASD and language disorders also have problems with speech sound error patterns. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? About 75% of children with ASD experience language delays/disorders, as well as speech sound problems, related to speech sound error patterns. Understanding/acknowledging these phonological patterns and their implications can help in the diagnosis and intervention of speech sound disorders in children with ASD. Direct intervention targeting phonology might lead to language gains, but more research is needed.
OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to describe language variation in a group of 4-6-year-old children with ASD, focusing on in-depth analyses of speech sound error patterns with and without non-phonological language disorder and concomitant non-verbal delays.
METHODS: We examined and analysed the speech sound skills (including consonant inventory, percentage of correct consonants and speech sound error patterns) in relation to receptive language skills in a sample of preschool children who had screened positive for ASD in a population-based screening at 2.5 years of age. Seventy-three children diagnosed with ASD participated and were divided into subgroups based on their receptive language (i.e., non-phonological language) and non-verbal abilities.
RESULTS: The subgroup division revealed that 29 children (40%) had language delay/disorder without concurrent non-verbal general cognitive delay (ALD), 27 children (37%) had language delay/disorder with non-verbal general cognitive delay (AGD), and 17 children (23%) had language and non-verbal abilities within the normal range (ALN). Results revealed that children with ALD and children with AGD both had atypical speech sound error patterns significantly more often than the children with ALN.
CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that many children who had screened positive for ASD before age 3 years - with or without non-verbal general cognitive delays - had deficits in language as well as in speech sound ability. However, individual differences were considerable. Our results point to speech sound error patterns as a potential clinical marker for language problems (disorder/delay) in preschool children with ASD.
CONCLUSIONS: What is already known on the subject Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have deficits in social communication, restricted interests and repetitive behaviour. They show very considerable variation in both receptive and expressive language abilities. Previously, articulation and phonology were viewed as either delayed in children with ASD or superior compared with other (non-phonological) language domains. What this paper adds to existing knowledge Children with ASD and language disorders also have problems with speech sound error patterns. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? About 75% of children with ASD experience language delays/disorders, as well as speech sound problems, related to speech sound error patterns. Understanding/acknowledging these phonological patterns and their implications can help in the diagnosis and intervention of speech sound disorders in children with ASD. Direct intervention targeting phonology might lead to language gains, but more research is needed.
摘要：
背景：在自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童的队列中，语言能力方面存在相当大的差异。在过去,人们认为，与其他语言领域相比，患有ASD的儿童要么发音和语音技能延迟，要么在这些领域表现出色。关于瑞典ASD学龄前儿童的语音能力与语言能力和非语言能力的关系知之甚少。
目的：当前的研究旨在描述一组4-6岁ASD儿童的语言变异，专注于深入分析有和没有非语音语言障碍和伴随的非语言延迟的语音错误模式。
方法：我们检查并分析了语音技能（包括辅音清单，正确辅音和语音错误模式的百分比）与接受语言技能有关的学龄前儿童样本，这些儿童在2.5岁时进行了基于人群的筛查，对ASD呈阳性。73名被诊断为ASD的儿童参加了比赛，并根据他们的接受语言分为亚组(即，非语音语言）和非语言能力。
结果：亚组划分显示29名儿童（40％）有语言延迟/障碍，没有并发非语言一般认知延迟（ALD），27名儿童（37％）有语言延迟/障碍与非语言一般认知延迟（AGD），17名儿童（23％）的语言和非语言能力在正常范围内（ALN）。结果显示，与ALN儿童相比，ALD儿童和AGD儿童的非典型性语音错误模式明显更高。
结论：这项研究表明，许多在3岁之前筛查出ASD阳性的儿童-有或没有非语言的一般认知延迟-在语言和语音能力方面都有缺陷。然而,个体差异很大。我们的结果表明，语音错误模式是ASD学龄前儿童语言问题（障碍/延迟）的潜在临床标志。
结论：关于该主题的已知知识自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童在社交交流方面存在缺陷，有限的利益和重复的行为。它们在接受和表达语言能力上都表现出很大的差异。以前,ASD儿童的发音和语音被视为延迟或优于其他（非语音）语言领域。本文对现有知识的补充患有ASD和语言障碍的儿童也存在语音错误模式的问题。这项工作的潜在或实际临床意义是什么？大约75％的ASD儿童经历语言延迟/障碍，以及语音问题，与语音错误模式有关。理解/承认这些语音模式及其含义可以帮助诊断和干预ASD儿童的语音障碍。针对语音的直接干预可能会导致语言增益，但是需要更多的研究。
目的：当前的研究旨在描述一组4-6岁ASD儿童的语言变异，专注于深入分析有和没有非语音语言障碍和伴随的非语言延迟的语音错误模式。
方法：我们检查并分析了语音技能（包括辅音清单，正确辅音和语音错误模式的百分比）与接受语言技能有关的学龄前儿童样本，这些儿童在2.5岁时进行了基于人群的筛查，对ASD呈阳性。73名被诊断为ASD的儿童参加了比赛，并根据他们的接受语言分为亚组(即，非语音语言）和非语言能力。
结果：亚组划分显示29名儿童（40％）有语言延迟/障碍，没有并发非语言一般认知延迟（ALD），27名儿童（37％）有语言延迟/障碍与非语言一般认知延迟（AGD），17名儿童（23％）的语言和非语言能力在正常范围内（ALN）。结果显示，与ALN儿童相比，ALD儿童和AGD儿童的非典型性语音错误模式明显更高。
结论：这项研究表明，许多在3岁之前筛查出ASD阳性的儿童-有或没有非语言的一般认知延迟-在语言和语音能力方面都有缺陷。然而,个体差异很大。我们的结果表明，语音错误模式是ASD学龄前儿童语言问题（障碍/延迟）的潜在临床标志。
结论：关于该主题的已知知识自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童在社交交流方面存在缺陷，有限的利益和重复的行为。它们在接受和表达语言能力上都表现出很大的差异。以前,ASD儿童的发音和语音被视为延迟或优于其他（非语音）语言领域。本文对现有知识的补充患有ASD和语言障碍的儿童也存在语音错误模式的问题。这项工作的潜在或实际临床意义是什么？大约75％的ASD儿童经历语言延迟/障碍，以及语音问题，与语音错误模式有关。理解/承认这些语音模式及其含义可以帮助诊断和干预ASD儿童的语音障碍。针对语音的直接干预可能会导致语言增益，但是需要更多的研究。
