title: Receptive vocabulary in boys with autism spectrum disorder: cross-sectional developmental trajectories.
abstract: In light of evidence that receptive language may be a relative weakness for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), this study characterized receptive vocabulary profiles in boys with ASD using cross-sectional developmental trajectories relative to age, nonverbal cognition, and expressive vocabulary. Participants were 49 boys with ASD (4-11 years) and 80 typically developing boys (2-11 years). Receptive vocabulary, assessed with the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, was a weakness for boys with ASD relative to age and nonverbal cognition. Relative to expressive vocabulary, assessed with the Expressive Vocabulary Test, receptive vocabulary increased at a lower rate for boys with ASD. Vocabulary trajectories in ASD are distinguished from typical development; however, nonverbal cognition largely accounts for the patterns observed.
authors.affiliation: Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Room 475, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA, kover@wisc.edu.
authors.forename: Sara T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Kover
authors.forename: Andrea S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: McDuffie
authors.forename: Randi J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hagerman
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Abbeduto
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007804:Language Development; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D014825:Vocabulary