TY - JOUR
T1 - Communicative competence in parents of children with autism and parents of children with specific language impairment
AU - Ruser, Tilla F.
AU - Arin, Deborah
AU - Dowd, Michael
AU - Putnam, Sara
AU - Winklosky, Brian
AU - Rosen-Sheidley, Beth
AU - Piven, Joseph
AU - Tomblin, Bruce
AU - Tager-Flusberg, Helen
AU - Folstein, Susan
PY - 2007/8/1
Y1 - 2007/8/1
N2 - While the primary language deficit in autism has been thought to be pragmatic, and in specific language impairment (SLI) structural, recent research suggests phenomenological and possibly genetic overlap between the two syndromes. To compare communicative competence in parents of children with autism, SLI, and down syndrome (DS), we used a modified pragmatic rating scale (PRS-M). Videotapes of conversational interviews with 47 autism, 47 SLI, and 21 DS parents were scored blind to group membership. Autism and SLI parents had significantly lower communication abilities than DS parents. Fifteen percent of the autism and SLI parents showed severe deficits. Our results suggest that impaired communication is part of the broader autism phenotype and a broader SLI phenotype, especially among male family members.
AB - While the primary language deficit in autism has been thought to be pragmatic, and in specific language impairment (SLI) structural, recent research suggests phenomenological and possibly genetic overlap between the two syndromes. To compare communicative competence in parents of children with autism, SLI, and down syndrome (DS), we used a modified pragmatic rating scale (PRS-M). Videotapes of conversational interviews with 47 autism, 47 SLI, and 21 DS parents were scored blind to group membership. Autism and SLI parents had significantly lower communication abilities than DS parents. Fifteen percent of the autism and SLI parents showed severe deficits. Our results suggest that impaired communication is part of the broader autism phenotype and a broader SLI phenotype, especially among male family members.
KW - Autism
KW - Communication
KW - Family study
KW - Pragmatics
KW - Specific language impairment
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U2 - 10.1007/s10803-006-0274-z
DO - 10.1007/s10803-006-0274-z
M3 - Article
C2 - 17180460
AN - SCOPUS:35148871352
VL - 37
SP - 1323
EP - 1336
JO - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
JF - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
SN - 0162-3257
IS - 7
ER -