Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Language

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders

  • 117 Accesses

Definition

Language may be defined as a representational rule-based system of arbitrary symbols used to convey information among members of a shared language community. Language symbols may be spoken, written, or signed and may be combined and recombined in ways that enable speakers to convey an infinite number of thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Frith and Happe (1994) distinguish language and communication; we can communicate with others without recourse to a rule-based language system through our gestures, facial expressions, eye gaze, or other actions. Similarly, an individual may possess the words and grammar of his language community but still struggle to communicate. Within ASD, communication disorders are universal, while language impairments are extremely variable (Tager-Flusberg, Paul, & Lord, 2005).

Language is a system of five component parts. Although these may be studied separately, in reality, they are highly interactive. Phonologyrefers to the sounds of speech and more...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 1,799.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References and Readings

  • Frith, U., & Happe, F. (1994). Language and communication in autistic disorders. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, London B, 346, 97–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norbury, C. F. (2011). Developmental language disorders: An introduction. In P. Howlin, T. Charman, & M. Ghazziuddin (Eds.), Sage handbook of developmental disorders (ch. 16). London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tager-Flusberg, H., Paul, R., & Lord, C. (2005). Language and communication in autism. In F. R. Volkmar, R. Paul, A. Klin, & D. J. Cohen (Eds.), Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders (pp. 335–365). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Department, Royal Holloway, University of London, TW20 0EX, Egham, Surrey, UK

    Dr. Courtenay Norbury

Authors
  1. Dr. Courtenay Norbury
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Courtenay Norbury .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Irving B. Harris Professor of Child Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Psychology Yale University School of Medicine, Chief, Child Psychiatry Children's Hospital at Yale-New Haven Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar (Director, Child Study Center) (Director, Child Study Center)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this entry

Cite this entry

Norbury, C. (2013). Language. In: Volkmar, F.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_523

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_523

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1697-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1698-3

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation