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Pedantic Speech

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Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Definition

Pedantic speech refers to an overly formal speaking style that is inappropriate to the conversational setting. It can be characterized by didactic patterns of prosody and very precise articulation, as well as unnecessarily complex vocabulary. Some individuals diagnosed with Asperger syndrome speak in this manner, which can be an impediment to social interactions as a conversational partner may interpret this type of speech as condescending. Pedantic speech is particularly marked in children as it is developmentally inappropriate; such children are often described as “little professors” for their very precise style of speaking.

See Also

Intonation

Monotone

Prosody

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References and Readings

  • Diehl, J. J., & Berkovits, L. (2010). Is prosody a diagnostic and cognitive bellwether of autism spectrum disorders? In A. Harrison (Ed.), Speech disorders: Causes, treatments, and social effects (pp. 159–176). New York: Nova Science.

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  • Ghaziuddin, M., & Gerstein, L. (1996). Pedantic speaking style differentiates Asperger syndrome from high-functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 26, 585–595.

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  • McCann, J., & Peppé, S. (2003). Prosody in autism spectrum disorders: A critical review. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 38(4), 325–350.

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  • Paul, R., Augustyn, A., Klin, A., & Volkmar, F. R. (2005). Perception and production of prosody by speakers with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 35(2), 205–220.

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  • Shriberg, L. D., Paul, R., McSweeny, J. L., Klin, A., Cohen, D. J., & Volkmar, F. R. (2001). Speech and prosody characteristics of adolescents and adults with high-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 44(5), 1097–1115.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Boston University, 64 Cummington Street, Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Lisa Edelson Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Lisa Edelson Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Lisa Edelson Ph.D. .

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)

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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Edelson, L. (2013). Pedantic Speech. In: Volkmar, F.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_358

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_358

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1697-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1698-3

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

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