Distinct Pause Patterns in Autism: Effects of Sex and Conversational Context in French-Speaking (Pre)adolescents.

This study looked at how autistic and non-autistic French-speaking teens use pauses when talking. Researchers found that autistic teens used more long silent pauses, but similar amounts of 'uh' and 'um' sounds compared to their peers. The type of conversation mattered - both groups used more 'uh' and 'um' sounds when having discussions versus telling stories. There were no differences between boys and girls in either group.

This cross-sectional study examined pause patterns in 107 French-speaking (pre)adolescents (49 autistic, 58 non-autistic) across two conversational contexts: monologue narratives and interactive discussions. Researchers analyzed filled pauses ('uh', 'um') and unusually long silent pauses (>700ms). Key findings showed autistic participants produced significantly more silent pauses than non-autistic peers, while filled pause production was similar between groups. Filled pauses occurred more frequently during interactive conversations than narratives, highlighting their pragmatic function.

Sex did not influence pause patterns. The study emphasizes the importance of cross-linguistic autism research beyond English-speaking populations to avoid overgeneralization of communication findings.

Findings suggest silent pause patterns may be a measurable communication difference in autism that varies by conversational context. Assessment and intervention should consider conversational demands and cross-linguistic factors when evaluating speech patterns.

Single cross-sectional study design limits causal inferences. Sample limited to French-speaking participants. Abstract does not specify autism diagnostic criteria used or control for intellectual ability or language skills, which could influence pause patterns.

We investigated sex differences in the production of pauses in autistic (pre-)adolescents in two conversational contexts: a monologue and an interactive discussion. This study included 107 French-speaking participants ( = 12.35 years), 49 autistic (22 females, 27 males) and 58 nonautistic (30 females, 28 males). Speech was elicited from two tasks: a get-to-know conversation and a narrative task. We analyzed the production of filled "uh" and "um" pauses as well as the production of unusually long silent pauses (> 700 ms).

Autistic participants produced more silent pauses than nonautistic participants, but no significant group differences were found for filled pauses. Filled pauses occurred more frequently in the get-to-know than in the narratives, which underscores their pragmatic functions. No significant effect of sex was found. Autism diagnosis and conversational context, but not sex, influenced pause productions.

Our results also highlight the importance of cross-linguistic studies, including in autism research, to avoid the overgeneralization of findings from English-speaking populations. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.32078268.