title: Lexical knowledge and lexical use in autism.
abstract: One aspect of autistic language that has been infrequently researched is vocabulary and the conceptual knowledge underpinning individual words or word types. In this descriptive study we investigate anomalous vocabulary use in a 70,000-word corpus of conversational autistic language and examine evidence that concept formation, and hence vocabulary, is abnormal in autism. Particular attention is paid to the expression of artifact and temporal concepts which some believe may develop abnormally in autism. Little evidence is found of anomalous use of artifact terms, though errors with temporal (and also spatial) expressions are relatively common. We discuss why this may be and consider several potential explanations for why underlying lexical knowledge in autism may not necessarily be reflected in lexical use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Communication Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK. m.perkins@sheffield.ac.uk
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.forename: Sushie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dobbinson
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boucher
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bol
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bloom
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016477:Artifacts; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D032882:Comprehension; D003210:Concept Formation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation; D012660:Semantics; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D013998:Time Perception; D014705:Verbal Behavior; D014706:Verbal Learning; D014825:Vocabulary; D014888:Wechsler Scales