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The social and symbolic quality of autistic children's communication

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Abstract

The developmental status of the communicatory behavior of 11 autistic children was assessed. Children were observed during free play sessions under two conditions: (a) when teachers were present to direct the children's behavior and (b) when teachers were absent and the children played among themselves. Mean changes in the children's communicatory behavior were measured over time (8 months) using the behavior scale designed for this study. The relationship between the developmental status of the children's communicatory behavior and standardized measures of their social and cognitive functioning (e.g., IQ, Vineland Social Age) was also assessed. The results revealed that the quantity and social quality of autistic children's communicatory behavior were greater in the teachers' presence than in their absence and that the symbolic and social quality of the children's communicatory behavior increased over 8 months. Also, positive correlations were found between social and symbolic levels of communication and standardized tests of social and cognitive functioning. The implications of these findings for the assessment of autistic children are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of North Carolina, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, 301 NCNB Plaza, 27514, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

    Susan M. McHale, Rune J. Simeonsson, Lee M. Marcus & J. Gregory Olley

Authors
  1. Susan M. McHale
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  2. Rune J. Simeonsson
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  3. Lee M. Marcus
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  4. J. Gregory Olley
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Additional information

This research was supported by a grant from the Spencer Foundation. The preparation of this report was also supported in part by the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped, U.S. Office of Education, DHEW, Contract Number 300-77-0309. However, the opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Office of Education, and no official endorsement by the U.S. Office of Education should be inferred. Portions of this research were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association on Mental Deficiency, Miami, May 1979. The authors wish to thank the teachers involved in this study, Susan Boswell, Bob Foster, Mary Harmon, Karen Lovejoy, Faye Williams, and Marian Wooten, and research assistants Patricia Dockery, Ann Hager, and Chickery Kasouf.

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McHale, S.M., Simeonsson, R.J., Marcus, L.M. et al. The social and symbolic quality of autistic children's communication. J Autism Dev Disord 10, 299–310 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02408289

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