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Human References: What the Words That Adolescents with ASD Use Reveal about the ASD Phenotype
Deficits in verbal communication are evident in varying degrees in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Research has documented a host of language symptoms, including idiosyncratic and/or repetitive speech, uneven language development and difficulty with pragmatic aspects of language including aberrant vocal quality, tone, and/or volume. However, we know little about the words used by those with ASD, and how they may differ from those of their neurotypical peers.
Objectives:
This study investigated the ways in which adolescents with ASD (Adol_ASD) use words compared to their neurotypical (Adol_NT) peers.
Methods:
Nineteen Adol_ASD and 14 Adol_NT participants (11-21 years, all male) were enrolled in the study. Participants in the two groups were comparable in chronological (F(1,31)=1.56, p=.22) and mental age (F(1,31)=.19, p=.67). The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS; Lord et. al., 1989) was used to confirm ASD diagnosis. The ADOS was transcribed from video. Transcriptions were analyzed using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count program (Pennebaker, Booth, Boyd, & Francis, 2015), yielding information on participant word use across approximately 90 variables. Our analyses focused on variables within three categories: (1) Interpersonal Referents, (2) Internal State Referents and (3) Ambiguous Action Referents.
Results:
Oneway ANOVAs were conducted to compare the LIWC variables between the Adol_ASD and Adol_NT groups (see Table 1). Overall, Adol_ASD participants focused more on themselves (I-words), and used fewer words referring to others (e.g., 3rdperson pronouns) including broad classes of people, events, and actions (interrogatives) compared to Adol_NT participants. Interestingly, the language patterns of the Adol_ASDs suggested they spoke in an interpersonal manner consistent with having lower social status or clout. In terms of Internal State Referents, Adol_ASD use fewer words reflecting feelings, biological or bodily processes, and emotional states, such as anxiety. Finally, Adol_ASD participants more frequently referred to ambiguous action and objects than Adol_NTs.
Conclusions:
The current study provides insight into phenotypic language use in ASD. Our findings suggest that Adol_ASD use words reflecting greater self-focus (e.g., “I”). Further, when Adol_ASD make reference to others, they more often use non-specific impersonal pronouns, and ambiguous referents such as “who”, “what”, and “where” (interrogatives). Results suggest that adolescents with ASD rely on action words (verbs, auxiliary verbs) and more often employ value-laden references such as “should”, “would”, and “could” (discrepancy words) when describing events and objects. Results reveal that Adol_ASD make less frequent references to human internal states (e.g., anxiety, feelings, biological and body processes). Finally, results suggest that the linguistic profiles of Adol_ASD reflect less clout - or influence – than those of Adol-NT. Interestingly, individuals with high clout more often use “we” and less often use “I.” They also use more social words and fewer negations. Taken together, this pattern of word use conveys as more confident and influential. In sum, our study revealed that adolescents with ASD may engage in patterns of word use reflecting greater self-focus, less awareness of internal states and, also, may be perceived as less influential. These findings may have implications for life skills training programs for individuals with ASD.