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Observation of Spontaneous Expressive Language (OSEL): A New Measure for Spontaneous and Expressive Language of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Communication Disorders

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Abstract

A new language measure, the Observation of Spontaneous Expressive Language (OSEL), is intended to document spontaneous use of syntax, pragmatics, and semantics in 2–12-year-old children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other communication disorders with expressive language levels comparable to typical 2–5 year olds. Because the purpose of the OSEL is to provide developmental norms for use of language, the first step involves assessment of the scale’s feasibility, validity, and reliability using a sample of 180 2–5 year-old typically developing children. Pilot data from the OSEL shows strong internal consistency, high reliabilities and validity. Once replicated with a large population-based sample and in special populations, the scale should be helpful in designing appropriate interventions for children with ASD and other communication disorders.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Grants from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R21DC007921-01) and the Western Psychological Services. We gratefully acknowledge the children and their families who participated in the study, and the faculty and staff at the University of Michigan Autism and Communication Disorders Center (UMACC) and the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain (CADB) and our collaborators, particularly Kate Gasparrini, Kristin Houck, Alayna Schreier, Sheri Stegall, Jacquelyn Baker, Rebecca Jones, Daniel Cheong, Vanessa Hus, and Shanping Qiu who assisted in collecting, preparing, analyzing, and interpreting these data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 40 Temple St. Suite 7-D, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA

    So Hyun Kim

  2. Milan Area Schools, 100 Big Red Drive, Milan, MI, 48160, USA

    Dörte Junker

  3. Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, Weill Cornell Medical College, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY, 10605, USA

    Catherine Lord

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  1. So Hyun Kim
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  2. Dörte Junker
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Correspondence to So Hyun Kim.

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Kim, S.H., Junker, D. & Lord, C. Observation of Spontaneous Expressive Language (OSEL): A New Measure for Spontaneous and Expressive Language of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Communication Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 44, 3230–3244 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2180-0

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