Predicting Social Competence in Autistic and Non-Autistic Children: Effects of Prosody and the Amount of Speech Input
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| Title: | Predicting Social Competence in Autistic and Non-Autistic Children: Effects of Prosody and the Amount of Speech Input |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Alyssa Janes (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2025 55(7):2240-2253. |
| Availability: | Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/ |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 14 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Predictor Variables, Interpersonal Competence, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Suprasegmentals, Linguistic Input, Children, Child Language, Speech Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Intonation |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10803-024-06363-w |
| ISSN: | 0162-3257 1573-3432 |
| Abstract: | Purpose: Autistic individuals often face challenges perceiving and expressing emotions, potentially stemming from differences in speech prosody. Here we explore how autism diagnoses between groups, and measures of social competence within groups may be related to, first, children's speech characteristics (both prosodic features and amount of spontaneous speech), and second, to these two factors in mothers' speech to their children. Methods: Autistic (n = 21) and non-autistic (n = 18) children, aged 7-12 years, participated in a Lego-building task with their mothers, while conversational speech was recorded. Mean F0, pitch range, pitch variability, and amount of spontaneous speech were calculated for each child and their mother. Results: The results indicated no differences in speech characteristics across autistic and non-autistic children, or across their mothers, suggesting that conversational context may have large effects on whether differences between autistic and non-autistic populations are found. However, variability in social competence within the group of non-autistic children (but not within autistic children) was predictive of children's mean F0, pitch range and pitch variability. The amount of spontaneous speech produced by mothers (but not their prosody) predicted their autistic children's social competence, which may suggest a heightened impact of scaffolding for mothers of autistic children. Conclusion: Together, results suggest complex interactions between context, social competence, and adaptive parenting strategies in driving prosodic differences in children's speech. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1474283 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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