Commonly-Held Myths About Communication and Language Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders – Part 1

This article examines speech-language pathology’s “folk lore” – the commonly held myths about language communication that all too often stand in the way of student progress in this critically important area of development.

Myth #1: Talking must be easy since so many people do it so effortlessly.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the act of speaking – and all that it involves – is arguably the most complex task that human beings are called upon to learn. For example, to utter a simple one-syllable word such as church is a motor planning extravaganza, requiring well over twenty precise, exquisitely timed movements, all occurring in a particular sequence. Imagine the motor planning that goes into extended discourse!

The act of speaking, of course, involves more than moving one’s articulators (e.g., tongue, lips, jaws, etc.). It also involves the selection of specific vocabulary to accurately convey one’s message. Given that many words have multiple meanings, and that different words can mean the same thing, this process is anything but straightforward. Talking also involves social decision-making (i.e., pragmatics), such as knowing what, how, and when to say something, and who to say it to. In addition, since communication is a two-way street, talking also involves keeping track of what another speaker says, and what he or she knows, so that an appropriate, on-topic response may be formulated. Problems here run high in ASD. While this explanation barely scratches the surface of the complex multifaceted skill of talking, it should at least convince the reader that the act of speaking is anything but simple.

Myth #2: He only says a few words, but he understands everything.

There are several reasons why individuals with autism may appear to understand “everything.” The most likely cause, however, is probably attributed to their excellent rote memories, and their ability to follow routines with ease once they learn them. For example, of the child’s typical routine upon arriving home from school is to hang up his jacket, wash his hands, get a glass of milk from the refrigerator, and sit down at the table for a snack, his parents might assume that it is their directional cues that prompt the child’s responses. In actuality there are many cases in which individuals with autism are responding to the customary routine, rather than the verbal prompts to hang up jacket, get a glass of milk, and so forth. A simple way to determine the child’s level of understanding of verbal directives is to either vary the routine (i.e., give directions that are out of the customary order), or direct the child to do something novel. If, under such circumstances the child continues to do what he’s always done, it is likely due to his not understanding everything. And, if you find that to be the case, then it’s a good place to begin building in comprehension.

More speech-language pathology myths to come in the next installment of Autism at Home Series, so please “stay tuned”.

Related posts:

1. Improving language Skills with “Rapid Fire Improvisation”
2. Autism from the Inside: Living within the Spectrum
3. The Case For Addressing Theory of Mind Deficits in Language Intervention
4. Going Green: Children with Special Needs
5. Increasing Engagement through Novel Experiences