The Semantic Deficit Hypothesis of Autistic Children's Language

Abstract

This paper presents a review of research on verbal autistic children's processing of semantic information. Earlier studies demonstrated that autistic children did not use meaning to facilitate memory, learning, or comprehension. Some recent experiments are summarized which show that autistic children do represent, organize, and encode meaning effectively, however they appear to be deficient in spontaneously using semantic knowledge in the retrieval of stored information. The implications of such a deficit for language acquisition are discussed. Specifically, it is proposed that this semantic deficit will impede the acquisition of syntax and morphology because autistic children will be less able to use semantic information to facilitate the acquisition of grammatical rules in the way that normal children do.