Vocabulary of Autistic Preschool Children With Limited Language: Alignment With Early Word Inventories.

Researchers studied 66 preschoolers with autism who use very few words (under 20). They found most children communicated through speech, gestures, or both. Children mainly used spoken words to comment and pointing to request things. Surprisingly, the words these children used didn't match well with standard early vocabulary lists, suggesting they may need more personalized word choices based on their own interests and experiences.

This study examined the vocabulary patterns of 66 preschoolers with autism (ages 3.5-5) who had limited language (fewer than 20 functional words). Researchers analyzed spontaneous words and gestures during 20-minute natural language samples and compared them with established vocabulary tools. Most children (74%) used spoken words, gestures, or both, while 9% used speech-generating devices. Spoken words were primarily used for commenting, while gestures (especially pointing) were used for requesting.

Only 32% of children's words matched core AAC word lists, suggesting these children may use more personalized vocabulary related to their interests rather than standard early vocabulary sets.

Findings suggest AAC vocabulary selection should be individualized rather than relying solely on standard core word lists. Multimodal communication approaches should be considered, recognizing that different modalities serve different functions. Educational targets may need to incorporate children's personal interests and experiences.

Study limitations are mentioned but not specified in the abstract. The research focused on a specific subset of children with very limited language, which may limit generalizability to other autistic children with different communication profiles.

There is a critical need to understand the early vocabulary of young children with autism who have limited language, defined in this study as producing fewer than 20 different spontaneous and functional spoken or augmented words, to better inform educational targets and vocabulary selection for spoken as well as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions, particularly given the lack of evaluation tools designed for children with limited language. The spontaneous words and gestures produced by 66 preschoolers with autism (ages 3.5-5) during a natural language sample are compared with words in two early vocabulary tools including the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (MCDI) and a list of core words compiled from research studies of early AAC vocabulary. Participants' expressive words and gestures were coded from the transcripts of 20-min natural language samples. Forty-nine children (74.24%) used spoken words, gestures, or a combination of both, with six children (9.09%) communicating using a speech-generating device (SGD).

Spoken words were primarily used for commenting, while gestures, especially pointing, were used for requesting. Although more than half of the unique words expressed by the children during the natural language sample overlapped with those in the MCDI, only 32% of unique words expressed by the children overlapped with Laubscher's and Light's core word lists, suggesting that young children with autism who have limited language may use more fringe words related to their personal interests or experiences. The study's limitations as well as implications for vocabulary selection for AAC systems and intervention goals are discussed.