NEW RESEARCH FINDINGS

Scale of Language Features: Examples from Conversations of Youths with ASD

Explanation of Symbols

Examples:

Topic Switching

EXP:   What other what other kinds of trucks do you like?

EXP:   Oil trucks, cement trucks what else?

CHI:   Um what others what and what others.

CHI:   Would you go on a train?

EXP:   Would I go on a train?

EXP:   Oh, I'd love to go on a train.

CHI:   What kind of train?

CHI:   What kind?

EXP:   Um I think a passenger train.

CHI:   That's a black train.

CHI:   What happens if you go on the midnight express?

Terseness

EXP:   Are you having a good day today?

CHI:   Yes.

EXP:   Good.

EXP:   Do you like the things we've been doing?

CHI:   # Yes.

EXP:   Good.

EXP:   What have you liked the best?

CHI:   # Playing with the cubes.

EXP:   You found that quite easy.

EXP:   You were very good at that weren't you?

CHI:   # Yes.

Pedantic Speech

CHI:  Question.

CHI:  How big is the Statue of Liberty?

CHI:  Is it bigger than the Eiffel Tower same size as the Eiffel Tower or is the Eiffel Tower bigger than the Statue of Liberty?

Perseveration

EXP:   <Oh> [<] she's that's because she's a three year old <right> [>] ?

CHI:   <Then> [<].

CHI:   I uh went up.

CHI:   And I saw the yellowish going south went by on the other side.

CHI:   And the yellowish going north on Saint Clair.

CHI:   An(d) I saw # no subway at Saint Clair.

CHI:   An(d) the yellowish going north left Saint Clair.

CHI:   The yellowish goin(g) north went into the tunnel.

Pausing

CHI:   I watched that show.

CHI:   Free Willy.

EXP:   Did you watch it at home?

EXP:   Hm?

CHI:   ## Yeah.

(## indicates a long pause)

Attention to Outside Environment

EXP:   When I went to get you you were in a different room today.

CHI:   Okay.

CHI:   Watch this.

CHI:   Di # star command come it.

CHI:   Do it wi(th) me.

CHI:   ## Draw [!]

Atypical Stress Selection

CHI:   And my family usually orders [!] pizza on Fridays [!].