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Personal Pronouns and Communicative Engagement in Autism

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders volume 40, pages 653–664 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

In three experimental conditions, we tested matched children with and without autism (n = 15 per group) for their comprehension and use of first person plural (‘we’) and third person singular (‘he’) pronouns, and examined whether such linguistic functioning related to their social interaction. The groups were indistinguishable in their comprehension and use of ‘we’ pronouns, although within each group, such usage was correlated with ratings of interpersonal connectedness with the collaborator. On the other hand, participants with autism were less likely to use third person pronouns or to show patterns of eye gaze reflecting engagement with an interlocutor’s stance vis-à-vis a third person. In these settings, atypical third person pronoun usage seemed to reflect limited communicative engagement, but first person pronouns were relatively spared.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants from the Wellcome Foundation, the Baily Thomas Charitable Fund, and by NHSE R&D funding. We are indebted to the pupils, parents and teachers of Edith Borthwick School and Helen Allison School where we tested for making the study possible. A special thank you to Valentina Levi for her help with the ratings.

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Affiliations

  1. Tavistock Clinic, 120 Belsize Lane, London, NW3 5BA, UK

    R. Peter Hobson, Anthony Lee & Jessica A. Hobson

  2. Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK

    R. Peter Hobson & Jessica A. Hobson

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  1. R. Peter Hobson
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  2. Anthony Lee
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  3. Jessica A. Hobson
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Correspondence to R. Peter Hobson.

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Hobson, R.P., Lee, A. & Hobson, J.A. Personal Pronouns and Communicative Engagement in Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 40, 653–664 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-009-0910-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-009-0910-5

Keywords

  • Autism
  • Personal pronouns
  • Deixis
  • Eye gaze
  • Social interaction