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Language Performance in Preschool-Aged Boys with Nonsyndromic Autism Spectrum Disorder or Fragile X Syndrome

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Abstract

In the present study, language performance on standardized assessments (e.g., overall verbal performance, receptive and expressive vocabulary) and spontaneous language produced in play was compared between preschool-aged boys with autism spectrum disorder (nASD, n = 25) and boys with fragile X syndrome (FXS, n = 16). At the group-level, we observed weaknesses in the language skills of boys with nASD relative to those with FXS (e.g., when considering raw score performance, standard score performance relative to nonverbal cognitive skills, frequency of talk in play), after controlling for nonverbal IQ and ASD symptom severity. Moreover, although individually most children in both groups demonstrated language delays relative to CA-expectations, language delays relative to nonverbal level-expectations were more common in boys with nASD.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Grants R03 DC014543 from the National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders, U54 HD079125 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, UL1 TR000002 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. We wish to thank the children and their families for their participation in this study. We also thank Cynde Josol, Amy Banasik, Theofilos Mazidzoglou, and Claudine Anglo for assisting with data collection; Karina Gonzalez and Vivian Nguyen for coordinating all study visits; and Danielle Harvey for assisting with data analyses. Angela John Thurman has received financial support to develop and implement outcome measures for clinical trials from Fulcrum Therapeutics. No other authors have financial disclosures to make.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Sacramento, USA

    Angela John Thurman

  2. MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Sacramento, USA

    Angela John Thurman & Cesar Hoyos Alvarez

  3. Department of Spanish and Portuguese, University of California Davis, Sacramento, USA

    Cesar Hoyos Alvarez

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  1. Angela John Thurman
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  2. Cesar Hoyos Alvarez
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Contributions

AJT conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, performed the statistical analyses, and drafted the manuscript. CHA participated in the design and coordination of the study, helped with the statistical analyses, and helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Angela John Thurman.

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Conflict of interest

Angela John Thurman has received financial support to develop outcome measures for clinical trial studies from Fulcrum Therapeutics. Cesar Hoyos Alvarez declares no conflict of interest.

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Thurman, A.J., Hoyos Alvarez, C. Language Performance in Preschool-Aged Boys with Nonsyndromic Autism Spectrum Disorder or Fragile X Syndrome. J Autism Dev Disord 50, 1621–1638 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-03919-z

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