Language and ToM development in autism versus Asperger syndrome: Contrasting influences of syntactic versus lexical/semantic maturity |
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| Authors: | Jessica Paynter Candida Peterson |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Research and Psychology Department, Moorooka Campus, AEIOU Foundation, 66 Hamilton Road, Moorooka, 4111 Brisbane, QLD, Australia;2. School of Education and Professional Studies, Mt Gravatt campus, Griffith University, 176 Messines Ridge Road, Mt Gravatt, 4122 Brisbane, QLD, Australia;1. The Graduate Center of City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4309, USA;2. Hunter College, City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA;1. IIMAS, C3, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, D.F., Mexico;2. DISPUTer, “G. d’Annunzio” University, Chieti, Italy;3. University Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile;4. CREA (AMG Research and Evolution Centre), Florence, Italy;1. Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy;2. Centre for Family Research, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK;1. Department of Germanic Linguistics, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany;2. Department of English and Linguistics, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany;3. School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia;1. Department of Psychology, Whitelands College, University of Roehampton, London SW15 4JD, UK;2. School of Psychology, Politics and Sociology, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, Kent CT1 1QU, UK;3. Institute of Education, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6UA, UK |
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| Abstract: | Theory of mind (ToM) development by a sample of 63 children aged 5–12 years (24 with Asperger syndrome, 19 with high-functioning autism, and 20 age-matched typical developers) was assessed with a five-task false-belief battery in relation to both lexical (vocabulary) and syntactic (grammar) language skills. Contrary to some previous research, no differences in ToM emerged between those with Asperger syndrome and their typically developing peers but those with autism were delayed substantially behind both other groups in ToM understanding, even after controlling for age, non-verbal ability and verbal (both lexical and syntactic) mental age. For all the diagnostic groups equally, syntax was a more important ToM predictor than lexical language skill. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. |
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