| Impairment in language and communication is a core deficit in autism and related autism spectrum disorders. Relatively recent research supports a co-occurrence of language impairment similar to that seen in children with structural language impairments and autism spectrum disorders. While it is not clear whether this impairment constitutes a subtype of children with autism or a convergence between two distinct disorders, language impairment is emerging as an important dimension in understanding autism spectrum disorders. In the current study, Profile Analysis via Multidimensional Scaling (PAMS) was used to create communication profiles, which were then validated in a sample of school aged children from a local school district receiving services through Special Education under the educational classification of Autism. Three profiles were supported: High Speech vs. Low Nonverbal Communication, High Syntax vs. Low Context, and High Scripted Language vs. Low Social Relations. These communication profiles were correlated with external variables including measures of adaptive functioning, cognitive ability, language ability, and autism symptoms. High Speech vs. Low Nonverbal Communication showed significant positive correlations on most external variables, while neither of the other two profiles showed significant correlations with any of the external measures. Characteristics of good fit to the profiles as well as profile differences in children identified as having structural language impairments are discussed. |
