The linguistic profiles of preschool aged children with autism spectrum disorder

This study examined the linguistic abilities of Hebrew-speaking preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to their typically developing (TD) peers across four core language domains: semantics, syntax, phonology, and pragmatics. Twenty-nine children with ASD and thirty-two TD children, matched on chronological age, completed a comprehensive battery of language tasks. Group-level analyses revealed significant differences across all domains, with the TD group outperforming the ASD group. Correlational analyses indicated a more interconnected pattern of associations among language domains in the ASD group, suggesting less modular language organization. Individual-level profiling further highlighted the heterogeneity within the ASD group: while some children demonstrated language abilities comparable to TD peers (n = 7), some showed TD comparable linguistic abilities in most but not all domains (n = 4), the majority of children in the ASD group showed uneven profiles with selective deficits (n = 18). These profiles did not align with background variables such as age or nonverbal IQ. Findings underscore the need for individualized, multi-domain assessments in early childhood and support the development of targeted interventions that reflect the diverse linguistic profiles observed in children with ASD.