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Scientific article
Open access
English

Early trajectories and moderators of autistic language profiles : A longitudinal study in preschoolers

Published inAutism, 13623613241253015
First online date2024-05-21
Abstract

Both expressive and receptive language difficulties in autism emerge early and significantly have an impact on social functioning and quality of life. Despite their wide heterogeneity, autistic language abilities can be stratified into three distinct profiles. Language unimpaired exhibit near-typical verbal performance, language impaired show significant alterations in language structure, and minimally verbal display limited verbal abilities. However, little is known about the early trajectories and moderators specific to each profile. Here, we used a longitudinal sample of 286 preschoolers with autism and 85 typically developing (aged 1.5–5.7 years old), yielding 1164 visits. Our cluster analysis replicated the three well-established autistic language profiles (language unimpaired, n = 86; language impaired, n = 85; minimally verbal, n = 44) and revealed their specific early trajectories in expressive vocabulary, syntax, and pragmatics. At age 2.4, non-verbal cognition moderated the participants’ attribution to each language profile. Moreover, early stereotyped language specifically moderated the later verbal performance of language unimpaired participants, while the language outcome of language impaired participants was moderated by early intensive behavioral intervention. In conclusion, we provided a fine-grained description of language acquisition trajectories and moderators of autistic language profiles in a longitudinal sample exposed to French language, paving the way toward personalized medicine to autistic language difficulties.

eng
Keywords
  • Early Start Denver Model
  • Autism spectrum disorders
  • Cluster analysis
  • Early intervention
  • Moderators
  • Precision medicine
  • Prognosis
Citation (ISO format)
LATRECHE, Kenza et al. Early trajectories and moderators of autistic language profiles : A longitudinal study in preschoolers. In: Autism, 2024, p. 13623613241253015. doi: 10.1177/13623613241253015
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Identifiers
ISSN of the journal1362-3613
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