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Cited by 42Language Development and DisordersAutism Spectrum Disorder ResearchChild and Animal Learning Development

Thinking Ahead: Incremental Language Processing is Associated with Receptive Language Abilities in Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Venker, Courtney E., Edwards, Jan, Saffran, Jenny R., Ellis Weismer, Susan·2019·Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
DOI 10.1007/s10803-018-3778-4PMC PMC6391166
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Abstract

In typical development, listeners can use semantic content of verbs to facilitate incremental language processing-a skill that is associated with existing language skills. Studies of children with ASD have not identified an association between incremental language processing in semantically-constraining contexts and language skills, perhaps because participants were adolescents and/or children with strong language skills. This study examined incremental language processing and receptive language in young children with ASD with a range of language skills. Children showed a head start when presented with semantically-constraining verbs (e.g., Read the book) compared to neutral verbs (e.g., Find the book). Children with weaker receptive language showed a smaller head start than children with stronger receptive language skills, suggesting continuity between typical development and ASD.

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  • Language processing can be facilitated in children with ASD using contextual references such as semantically-constrained verbs compared to neutral verbs.

    “Studies of auditory processing and language paradigms show that language processing can be facilitated in children with ASD using contextual references such as semantically-constrained verbs compared to neutral verbs (Venker et al. 2019).”

    From Autism Spectrum Disorder and auditory sensory alterations: a systematic review on the integrity of cognitive and neuronal functions related to auditory processing (2023) · cites this paper as Venker et al. 2019

  • ASD patients tend to display worst performance in whispered speech compared to normal speech.

    “Studies have found that ASD patients tend to display worst performance in whispered speech compared to normal speech (Venker et al. 2019; Georgiou 2020) and several differences have been reported in terms of language processing and speech perception (Table 4).”

    From Autism Spectrum Disorder and auditory sensory alterations: a systematic review on the integrity of cognitive and neuronal functions related to auditory processing (2023) · cites this paper as Venker et al. 2019

    The Methods > Experimental Task describes recorded child-directed speech and compares semantically constraining with neutral verbs, not whispered with normal speech. The Discussion addresses receptive language and incremental processing. Searches for whispered speech and a normal-speech comparison found no passage in our copy addressing the claimed performance difference. (LLM, conf=0.76)

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Venker, C. E., Edwards, J., Saffran, J. R., & Ellis Weismer, S.
Affiliations
University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
Corresponding author
Venker, Courtney E.
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2018-11-02
Volume
49
Issue
3
Pages
1011-1023
ISSN
  • 0162-3257 (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-3432
DOI
10.1007/s10803-018-3778-4
PMC
PMC6391166
OpenAlex
W2898800199
Cited by
42
References
4
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 1
FWCI
4.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R01 DC012513)
  • National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P30 HD003352)
  • University of Wisconsin Graduate School (130416)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
Keywords
receptive language, autism spectrum disorder, preschool children, semantic constraints, verb semantics, language development
MeSH terms
Autism Spectrum Disorder, Acoustic Stimulation, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Language, Language Development Disorders, Language Tests, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Photic Stimulation, Reading, Semantics, Thinking

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