Language Subdomains among Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Associations with Social Skills

As deficits in both language and social skills are debilitating and persistent symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), considerable research has been devoted towards better understanding the nature of these co-occurring, yet distinct symptom clusters. Historically, researchers have largely assumed that only pragmatic language skills influence social skill development, and few have examined how other aspects of language (e.g., phonology, syntax, and semantics) influence social skills in ASD. Further, the focus on pragmatics alone has also influenced the development of interventions, as most ASD-related interventions target pragmatic language skills development. Consequently, the present study addressed the void in the current literature by examining the association among multiple language domains (e.g., semantics, syntax, and pragmatics) and social skills among children with ASD