Profiles of language and communication skills in autism

Language in autism appears to be best characterized by a selective deficit in applying language forms for purposes of functional communication. This pattern of selective deficit has been called the 'form/function dissociation.' This article outlines the language characteristics most often associated with autism and considers whether the observed patterns are specific to autism as a syndrome. Those characteristics that appear to be syndrome-specific are analyzed from the perspective of the form/function dissociation. Intervention considerations are briefly reviewed.