Language and communication in children with autism: Do research and clinical practice converge in Denmark?

Abstract

This paper takes a critical look at two assumptions about communication and language in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) which seem to exist in Denmark and to influence clinical practice. The two assumptions are: (1) pragmatic language abilities are more or less absent in ASD, and (2) other aspects of language are more or less intact in ASD. Given recent evidence, we argue that these assumptions ought to be reconsidered. We trace the origins of the assumptions and examine the clinical implications, with special reference to Danish clinical practice. The review is supplemented by case descriptions of Danish children with ASD, which illustrate the wide variability of ASD and its nuances. Possible specific factors leading to homogenized representations of the otherwise heterogeneous ASD population are proposed and discussed, including the nature of diagnostic manuals and the basic conditions for research. The paper concludes with an outlook for future clinical practice in Denmark.

Keywords::

• autism
• children
• development
• language
• communication
• clinical practice

Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part by two grants from Augustinus Fonden and one from Fru C. Hermansens Mindelegat to the first author, and by the Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF93) to the second author. The LEGO Foundation also provided funding. We would like to thank children, parents, professionals, and the students who helped in the clinic. We also want to thank Joi Bay for comments on an earlier version of the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

^1. J. Beyer has worked within the Danish autism field for decades, and at the time of communication, was the director of Department for Cognitive Disabilities and Brain Injury, The Danish National Board of Social Service.

^2. Not his real name.