Aspects of communication in autistic children

Abstract

A major deficit in autistic children described in the literature is a severe lack of communication skills. This study was an attempt to discover the forms of communication developed by autistic children. Using a qualitative observational research method, 18 observation sessions were conducted on four subjects, professionally diagnosed as autistic, one male and three females aged 8 to 15 years. Following the sessions, the data were then categorised under the three main forms of communication: nonverbal and verbal communication and inner language, which were further subdivided into more specific categories. The analysis confirmed a severe level of impairment in the subjects' communication skills. There were significantly peculiar forms of communication in each subject, but also common features usually associated with autism, such as the search for sensory stimulation from objects, lack of eye contact, echolalia, and interest in music. Inner language was observed to be absent in all four subjects.